Kasugano

It is a plateau on the western foot of Mt. Wakakusa and Mt. Mikasa (Mikasayama) in the eastern part of Nara city, bounded by the Saho River to the north and the Noto River to the south, and extending from the area of ​​Nara Park to the city to the east. The gently undulating plateau, made of diluvial deposits, is covered with grass all over, with old cedars and bush laurels, and the sight of flocks of deer playing there is a symbol of Nara Park and is loved by tourists. Its elevation above the city center is about 15 to 20 meters, and Todaiji Temple is located in the north, while Kasuga Taisha Shrine and Kofuku-ji Temple are in the center. Many anthologies of poetry have been written about here, such as Ishikawa Iratsume's "It was about this time that I could no longer see you, who walked fearlessly along the mountain roads of Kasugano" (Man'yoshu, Volume 4) and the anonymous poem "Kasugano, today, is burning, so my wife and I are secluded in the young grass, too" (Kokinshu).

[Ichiro Kikuchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

奈良市街地東部、若草山、御蓋(みかさ)山（三笠(みかさ)山）西麓(せいろく)の台地で、北は佐保(さほ)川、南は能登(のと)川に限られ、東は奈良公園内一帯から市街地に及ぶ。洪積層からなる緩やかな波状の台地で、一面芝生で覆われ、老杉が茂りアシビが群生し、シカが群れ遊ぶ光景は奈良公園の象徴をなし、観光客に親しまれている。市街地との比高は約15～20メートルで、北部に東大寺、中央に春日大社、興福寺があり、石川郎女(いしかわのいらつめ)の「春日野の山辺の道を恐(おそ)りなく通ひし君が見えぬころかも」（『万葉集』巻4）、読人しらずの「春日野はけふはな焼きそ若草の妻もこもれり我もこもれり」（『古今集』）など、多くの歌集に詠まれている。

［菊地一郎］

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