Mount Wakakusa

Japanese: 若草山 - わかくさやま

A mountain in the eastern part of Nara City. It is also written as Wakakusayama. It is part of Nara Park and has an elevation of 342 meters. The geology is Mikasayama andesite (both pyroxene andesite), but it is not an old volcano but a volcanic rock hill left by erosion. The entire mountain is covered with beautiful grass and has three layers of slopes, and was once confused with Mikasayama. At the top is the Uguisuzuka Tomb, a nationally designated historic site. From the top, you can see Mt. Aogaki on all four sides, the Nara Basin, the Yoshino Mountains in the distance, and the Yamashiro Basin. The mountain burning on January 15 every year is said to have begun as a border dispute between Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple, and at 6 pm, fires are set at the foot of Mt. Wakakusa. It is one of Nara's representative annual events that scorches the night sky of the ancient capital.

[Ichiro Kikuchi]

Nara Park
This prefectural urban park opened in 1880 (Meiji 13). Within the park are temples and shrines such as Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, as well as cultural facilities such as the Nara National Museum and Shoso-in Treasure, and is visited by approximately 13 million tourists annually. The photo shows the area known as Kasugano Park, with Mount Wakakusa visible in the background. The deer, which number more than 1,200, are a nationally designated natural monument. Nationally designated Place of Scenic Beauty Nara City, Nara Prefecture ©Masashi Tanaka ">

Nara Park

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

奈良市の市街地東部にある山。嫩草山(わかくさやま)とも書く。奈良公園の一部で、標高342メートル。地質は三笠(みかさ)山安山岩（両輝石安山岩）であるが、旧火山ではなく侵食から残った火山岩丘である。全山美しい芝で覆われた三層の斜面をなし、かつて三笠山と混同された。頂上には国指定の史跡鶯塚(うぐいすづか)古墳がある。頂上からは四周の青垣山や奈良盆地、遠く吉野連山、山城(やましろ)盆地などを一望できる。毎年1月15日の山焼きは東大寺と興福寺の境界争いに始まる行事ともいい、午後6時、若草山麓(ろく)に火がつけられる。古都の夜空を焦がす奈良の代表的な年中行事の一つ。

［菊地一郎］

奈良公園
1880年（明治13）に開園した県立の都市公園。域内には、興福寺、東大寺、春日大社などの寺社や、奈良国立博物館、正倉院をはじめとする文化施設もあり、年間約1300万人の観光客が訪れる。写真は春日野園地とよばれる一帯で、後方に若草山が見える。1200頭を超えるシカは国指定天然記念物。国指定名勝　奈良県奈良市©Masashi Tanaka">

奈良公園

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