Stargazing in Kashihara-shi, Nara, Japan

Dark-sky rating for Kashihara-shi

Kashihara-shi, Nara, Japan is a small city (population about 124,521). A place this size typically has a rural to suburban transition: the Milky Way core can be glimpsed on clear, moonless nights. That is an estimate of Bortle class 4–5 from population, not a measurement: the real value depends on the exact spot you observe from.

For a measured reading at any point, open the live Dark Sky map.

Nearest dark-sky places and observatories

No certified dark-sky place or observatory in our registry lies within 150 km of Kashihara-shi. Our list only includes genuine, publicly documented sites, so none is shown rather than guessed.

Milky Way season in Kashihara-shi

The bright core of the Milky Way stays low, so you need a clear southern or northern horizon. It climbs at least 20° above the horizon during astronomical darkness in March, April, May, June, July, August, September, peaking in June at about 27°.

• The north celestial pole stands 34.5° above the horizon, so stars within 35° of it never set from here.
• About 78.3% of the whole sky rises above the horizon at some point in the year from this latitude.
• The Milky Way's core in Sagittarius culminates about 26.5° up, staying low, so a clear southern horizon matters.
• At 65 m elevation, roughly 1% of the atmosphere's mass is already below you, which measurably reduces extinction near the horizon.

Tonight and aurora

As of October 20, 2026 (UTC) the Moon is a Waxing Gibbous at 63% illumination. Aurora at 34.5° latitude generally needs about Kp 9.0.

Nearby places

• Tondabayashicho, Osaka, Japan
• Nara-shi, Nara, Japan
• Osaka, Osaka, Japan
• Hirakata, Osaka, Japan
• Kishiwada, Osaka, Japan
• Uji, Kyoto, Japan