Mount Kasasute

Overview

Mount Kasasute is a peak of about 1,352.7 metres rising on the border of Totsukawa and Shimokitayama villages in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture. Part of the Ōmine mountain range renowned for the Shugendō ascetic tradition, it is crossed by the Ōmine Okugake Trail, the pilgrimage route inscribed as a World Heritage site. Chosen for both the 100 Famous Mountains of Kansai and the Nara 100 Mountains, it welcomes hikers with deep forest and ranks of ridgelines.

Highlights

• ●A peak of the Ōmine range at about 1,352.7 metres
• ●An ascetic ridge crossed by the World Heritage Ōmine Okugake Trail
• ●A noted mountain on both the Kansai 100 and Nara 100 lists
• ●Deep ranges straddling Totsukawa and Shimokitayama villages

History

Mount Kasasute is one summit of the Ōmine range, long a stage for the austerities of mountain ascetics (yamabushi), and the Ōmine Okugake Trail crosses its ridge. This trail is the rugged Shugendō path linking Yoshino and Kumano, handed down as part of the World Heritage 'Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range.' The passage of this route, layered with faith and history, gives the 1,352.7-metre peak much of its character.

Map

33.9825, 135.8983 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Reach the southern Nara trailhead by car and ready your gear
2. 2Follow the Ōmine Okugake ridge toward the summit of Kasasute
3. 3Gaze over the Ōmine peaks from the 1,352-metre top
4. 4Descend safely while reflecting on the history of the ascetic path

Did you know?

💡 Mount Kasasute bears the striking name meaning 'to cast off one's hat,' and stands 1,352.7 metres high. Listed among both the 100 Famous Mountains of Kansai and the Nara 100 Mountains, it is one of southern Nara's representative peaks. Since the World Heritage Ōmine Okugake Trail crosses its heights, a visit combines hiking with a walk through Shugendō history.

Nearby spots