Wakakusa Mountain Notes｜Sharing the Starry River with Deer Amidst Triple Layers of Cherry Blossoms

While visitors crowd in front of Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara Park, I climbed Wakakusa Mountain along an unnamed trail. This sacred mountain, embraced by three layers of lush greenery, carries the fresh scent of mugwort and deer antlers in the May breeze. The velvety grass slopes shimmer with golden-brown ripples in the sunset, and the entire mountain looks like a giant piece of washi paper forgotten by time, with every fold recording the old dreams of Heijō-kyō.

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🦌 A One-Day Seclusion Guide

Transportation: 15-minute walk from Kintetsu Nara Station to the mountain base, or reach via a detour trail from Kasuga Taisha Shrine
Time: Recommended to climb in the afternoon and wait for the magical moment after closing
Gear: Picnic mat and waterproof jacket, as sudden mountain rain is common

🌿 Unsi Hour · Entering the Mountain (13:00-15:00)

· First Layer · Butterfly Path
Ascend slowly from the northern gentle slope, encountering groups of yellow-striped swallowtail butterflies at the corner marked "Manyo Plant Area." A herbalist is harvesting Prunella vulgaris and says, "The dandelions here were once used as medicine for Emperor Shomu."
· Second Layer · Mirror Pond
Pause at a natural depression at 280 meters elevation, where the entire Nara Basin is reflected on the water’s surface. Toss a five-yen coin and watch the ripples make the Great Buddha Hall of Todai-ji sway like a mirage.

🌄 Shen Hour · Summit (15:00-17:00)

· Third Layer · Heavenly Carpet
Lie on the grassy slope at the 342-meter summit, with deer leisurely nibbling tender grass nearby. A doe tied with a red string gently approaches, her eyelashes brushing your hand as if sealing an ancient pact.
· Time Scale
Search for stone markers left by Edo-period mountain patrol officers, touching the carved words "Nanto Hakkei" (Eight Views of Nanto). The mountain guardian plays the dragon flute here every Wednesday, with melodies sharing origins with the "Karyobin" piece from the Shosoin biwa scores.

🌌 Xu Hour · Divine Concealment (17:00-19:00)

· Burning Mountain Legend
If you happen to be here during the January "Wakakusa Yamayaki Festival," the entire mountain transforms into a fiery phoenix at night. But even on ordinary evenings, miracles occur—when the sun sets behind the Ikoma Mountains, every blade of grass begins to glow with phosphorescence.
· Dancing on the Starry Carpet
After the park closes, you may stay behind to watch Nara’s lights gradually brighten like a Milky Way on the ground. The caretaker will point out a particularly bright star: "That’s the hairpin left behind by Empress Kōmyō."

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🎑 Secret Rituals

· Grass Whistle Messaging: Learn to play mugwort leaf whistles from the mountain guardian; the deer will gather or disperse in different formations according to the tune
· Moss Ball Offering: Create miniature moss gardens in a secret workshop halfway up the mountain; the spores you bring home will continue to grow in your study
· Washi Paper Rubbing: Use charcoal to take rubbings of deer hoof prints on the mountain path, with patterns astonishingly similar to those on Shosoin dyed leather

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"Wakakusa Mountain taught me: true healing is not forgetting time, but becoming time itself—witnessing dynasties rise and fall, yet always gently existing as green grass."