Mount Wakakusa

Rising 342 metres above Nara, Mount Wakakusa is an open grass hill reached by one of two climbing trails, passing a mid-way observatory before the summit. From the top, the view takes in Todai-ji's great roof, the wooded grounds of Nara Park and, on clear days, the site of the former Heijo Palace. The hill is burned in a controlled fire each January as part of the Wakakusa Yamayaki festival, and its night views over the city are counted among Japan's most celebrated nightscapes.