Home - Tim Bunting

KIWI YAMABUSHI

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

Kia ora koutou. I’m Tim Bunting, the Kiwi Yamabushi.

I’m a practicing Dewa Sanzan Yamabushi, a Japanese mountain ascetic based in Yamagata Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. Since 2016, I’ve trained in Haguro Shugendō under Master Fumihiro Hoshino through Daishobō, a pilgrim’s lodge on Haguro-san, and through Dewa Sanzan Jinja.

If you’re interested in experiencing Shugendō for yourself, check out Yamabushido.jp. Tell them I sent you.

In my spare time, I share stories from the overlooked corners of Japan, especially here in Tōhoku. I publish a Substack newsletter with over 1,500 subscribers, write a daily blog, and post videos on YouTube (over 1,000 subscribers). You’ll find me on most platforms as @kiwiyamabushi.

I’m currently on a mission to summit and document all 100 Famous Mountains of Yamagata.

I’m available for:

Online consultation
Public speaking (in English or Japanese)
Guided experiences on the Dewa Sanzan (via Yamabushidō.jp or DewaSanzan.com)

As a Master Yamabushi and the creator of DewaSanzan.com, I believe I’m the most knowledgeable native English speaker on these sacred mountains.

POPULAR ARTICLES

All of the articles can be found here.

The World’s Best Dojo

It's not where you think

Japan’s Two Biggest Obsessions

Starbucks is decidedly NOT a Kissaten

How Cup Noodles and Kawaii Culture made Axolotls famous in Japan

At the time, The Unlimited Teddy Bear was watching footage of Minecraft axolotls in English when they realised the English word for Axolotl was, in fact, Axolotl.

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MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

Here are a few posts of my adventures climbing the 100 Famous Mountains of Yamagata. Read about the project here, or view all articles here.

The sun sets over the ninth station of Mt. Gassan

Gassan, the Dewa Sanzan’s “Mountain of Death” (Mt. Gassan)

The tallest Dewa Sanzan peak with a thriving Haguro Shugendo Yamabushi culture.

Mt.-Takadate-and-Shimoike-lake-in-Tsuruoka

Wetland Wonderland of Takadate-yama

Takadate-yama is short in stature, but packs a lot of punch as home to one of the only RAMSAR wetlands in Japan

Mother. Hunter. Mountain. Hokari-yama (Mt. Hokari)

Kinbo Shugen Mountain with a strange name and amazing trails amongst the autumn leaves

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DAILY YAMABUSHI

Here are some of my Daily Yamabushi posts. Get more here.

That Was Fundamental

Moments and Memories

Blame the Pilot

The turbulence is real

Par for the Course

A Complacent Person’s Trap

The Destination Only Matters When we get There

Until then just enjoy the ride

A Good Tough

A good place to be

If you’re never wrong, you never grow

Make the effort to learn and change

Set the Ball in Motion

Put yourself on the hook

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KIWI YAMABUSHI

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

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Japanese yamabushi mountain ascetic from NZ sharing the side of Japan you never knew you wanted to know. @yamabushi.do @thedewasanzan

Crossing Mt. Gassan in winter be like… #mounta

Crossing Mt. Gassan in winter be like…

#mountains #japan #nature #tohoku #mountain #snow

6 hour solo hike on the mountains of #japan. Video

6 hour solo hike on the mountains of #japan. Video up now on YouTube.

#mountains #travel #nature #solo #solotravel #solotraveler #tohoku

Japan’s mountain of death 💀 ☠️ : Gas-san,

Japan’s mountain of death 💀 ☠️ : Gas-san, Mt. Gassan.

People climb this peak not only to pay their respects to the ancestors, but to also pray for a safe journey in the afterlife.

Believed to be the location our souls venture to when we pass, the atmosphere on Mt. Gassan depicts a version of heaven we often see in movies. A 100 Famous Mountain of Japan, Mt. Gassan is a definite must for nature lovers!

Detailed maps available free thanks to @thehokkaidocartographer as well! See timbunting.com/gassan for more.

A few of these shots were taken during @yamabushi.do experiences.

#japanhiking #hikingjapan #hiking #nature #japanoutdoors #outdoors #gassan #tohoku

Kyogakura-yama, Mt. Kyogakura, or ‘Mt. storehous

Kyogakura-yama, Mt. Kyogakura, or ‘Mt. storehouse of sutras’ is named after a pile of copies of sutras found in an earthenware pot in a very tight cave dating back at least 1,000 years. Besides this, the mountain has a clear connection to mountain worship with places like the Zazen (seated meditation) rock that looks out over the surrounding mountain range, and the ‘Tainai Kuguri’, womb pass, a common feature in sacred places throughout Japan.

Kyogakura-yama takes about an hour to summit, and has a lookout at the top with unbeatable views. It’s also right next to Juninotaki falls, one of Sakata’s most popular destinations during the height of summer.

#yamagata #japan #mountains #mountain #nature #hiking #offthebeatenpath #offthebeatentrack #offthebeatenpathtravel

You may not be able to tell from the photos (or ma

You may not be able to tell from the photos (or maybe the pit viper shows it) but Fujikura-yama, Mt. Fujikura, was not one of my favourite mountains to climb.

First, don’t climb lower mountains at the height of summer. That’s when the higher mountains are your friend.

Second, check and double check your route. You may unnecessarily be taking the long route with the even longer road there.

Third, if you see one pit viper on the way up, you better believe there will be another on the way down (true story).

Fourth, don’t wear shorts, even with skins, in and around water in the middle of forests. That’s where leaches live.

Fifth, well, I guess that’s about it. Enjoy the mountain while you can!

See timbunting.com/fujikura for more.

#mountains #nature #yamagata #japantravel #hiking #japanhiking #japantrip #tohoku

Atsumi Onsen is a popular hot spring town on the e

Atsumi Onsen is a popular hot spring town on the edge of the Sea of Japan that I was always jealous of because the people there could just pour snow into the drains and it would melt. Besides their superior methods of getting rid of the copious amounts of snow we get here in Yamagata, most, if not all, visitors to these parts seem completely oblivious that within five or so minutes from the town centre they could be in one of the most glorious waterfall wonderlands known to man.

While Atsumi-dake is a hike worthy of the mountain’s history as a mountain of nature worship (including abandoned pilgrim’s lodge), the waterfalls are only a short stone’s throw away, making for a great escape especially in the summer heat.

Https://www.timbunting.com/atsumi

What a place to stumble upon; hidden shrines, the

What a place to stumble upon; hidden shrines, the world’s smallest dragonfly, leaches, and pit vipers to boot.

We (I) were lucky / stupid enough to come across a hidden shrine on Kumanonaga-mine, Mt. Kumanonagamine (try saying that fast ten times) that we wouldn’t have gotten to hadn’t I taken the wrong turn when trying to get to the trailhead. Instead we found this mystical shrine, and what I think was the out-of-commission former trail up the mountain. We didn’t know that when we started climbing, of course.
Naturally, we followed what looked like the trail, and you know what? We actually made it to the summit, barely. After clambering up and cutting our way through some thick and steep bush for what felt like an eon.

The view from the summit was very nice indeed, but it came with the begging question, how were we going to get back to our car?

Help came from the oddest of places, as you’ll see in today’s article here:
https://timbunting.com/mountains/kumanonagamine/

#mountains #japan #japanesemountains #japaneseculture #hiddengems #hiddenshrine #shrine #secretgarden

Shoga-dake, Mt. Shogadake, was a real highlight of

Shoga-dake, Mt. Shogadake, was a real highlight of last year. This peak lies to the west of Mt. Chokai’s summit and is famous for its Nikkokisuge Day Lilies, bright yellowey-orange flowers, as well as some flowers native to Mt. Chokai like the Chokai thistle. You can reach Shoga-dake (relatively) easily from Mt. Chokai’s crater lake (a nice little detour), or do what I did and climb up from the lesser-trodden Odaira trailhead. Both trails guarantee amazing vistas over the Sea of Japan, as well as northern Yamagata, and southern Akita prefectures.

Read more at https://www.timbunting.com/shogadake

#mountains #sacred #mountain #rareflowers #flowers #japan #japantravel #offthebeatenpath

This mountain is called ‘Japan’. I’m not e

This mountain is called ‘Japan’.

I’m not even lying.

Nihon-Koku, Mt. Nihonkoku, is a mountain on the borders of Yamagata and Niigata that in the past actually was Japan. Which is to say, anywhere north of here wasn’t. Anywhere north of here was ruled by tribes of Emishi, native Japanese peoples, and was not part of the Japan ruled by the Yamato in Asuka, Nara prefecture.

There are a few other frankly weird theories as to the name of this mountain, like one that involves a Shogun and falcon, you can read about here:

https://timbunting.com/mountains/nihonkoku/

#weirdjapan #japan #japantravel #tohoku #yamagata #mountains

Haguro-san is by far my most visited mountain. In

Haguro-san is by far my most visited mountain. In fact, I’m there right now. There’s too much to cover for this mountain, I have already written a few thousand unpublished words about it, so I think I’ll leave it with the five story pagoda for now.

The current five story pagoda is a rebuild, only this rebuild is more than 650 years old. The original was built in 938 by samurai Taira no Masakado, and was designed to blend in with its surroundings. No paint or varnish was used in its construction, nor were nails, yet it still stands to this day. Such is the mastery of Japanese craftsmanship, and in fact one key point of the pagoda’s architecture was used in Tokyo Sky Tree, the central pillar used to counteract the many earthquakes Japan gets.

Whereas five story pagoda are generally built in a prominent location within temple complexes, this one is located at the base of the mountain in the middle of a forest. What’s up with that? Well, Haguro-san had its own journey of rebirth, and the location of this five story pagoda represents the fifth month of gestation along that journey. In other words, making it here is a definite achievement, but you’re only just past halfway. You can be a little proud of your achievements here, but with the knowledge that you still have a large chunk of the journey to go.

Learn more about Haguro-san with my article at https://www.timbunting.com/haguro.

#offthebeatenpath #offtheneatentrack #japan #offthebeatenpathjapan #tohoku #yamagata #japanhistory #japanculture

Takadate-yama, Mt. Takadate, is probably most famo

Takadate-yama, Mt. Takadate, is probably most famous for its RAMSAR wetlands, the Kami-ike and Shimo-ike lakes. These lakes welcome in all manner of rare birds and wildlife to a small mountain just a stone’s throw away from central Tsuruoka City. There is also a lookout tower at the summit, and the mountain is blessed with tons and tons of sakura trees which makes it a great spot for a family picnic or even a date.

See https://www.timbunting.com/takadate for my hiking guide.

#hiking #mountains #sakura #japanhiking #mountain #ruraljapan

Arakura-Yama, Mt. Arakura, has its trailhead in th

Arakura-Yama, Mt. Arakura, has its trailhead in the tiny port town of Yura along Yamagata’s coast on The Sea of Japan. If you go a little after the cherry blossoms bloom in the local parks, you can enjoy a mountain covered with mountain Sakura. Arakura Jinja is a real highlight, a mysterious shrine tucked into the mountains. Oh, and did I mention the view? Time it right and you get one of the best views of Yura, and even Chokai-san and Gassan.

See http://timbunting.com/arakura for more.

#mountains #nature #yamagata #japan #sakura #hiking #hikingjapan #japanhiking

Kinbo-zan, Mt. Kinbo was where I did my first @yam

Kinbo-zan, Mt. Kinbo was where I did my first @yamabushi.do Yamabushi training in 2017. It was also the first mountain I climbed for my 100 Famous Mountains of Yamagata project. Both in the middle of winter (which isn’t normal, who said I was normal?).

The 471m tall peak is small enough that you can do that, which may explain the deep history of spiritual pilgrimages here. I’d recommend Kinbo-zan to anyone who has hiked Haguro-san. The two are very similar in height, but have different histories and plenty of side trails to explore too.

Learn more at timbunting.com/kinbo.

#japantravel #offthebeatenpath #offthebeatentrack #japantrip #yamagata #tohoku

A weird day of rain but with Mt. Chokai still very

A weird day of rain but with Mt. Chokai still very much visible. Ominous.

#mountains #mountain #nature #rain #powerofnature #naturelovers

Mt. Haguro right now. #dewasanzan #hagurosan #ya

Mt. Haguro right now.

#dewasanzan #hagurosan #yamabushi #japan #snow #snowjapan

It’s amazing what you can find on the streets of

It’s amazing what you can find on the streets of Japan, like this wooden desk wanting to get back to its roots.

#japan #japanstreet #japanwalk #walkjapan #streetsofjapan #japanstreets

Absolute scenes from Yudono-san on Saturday. The r

Absolute scenes from Yudono-san on Saturday. The real Yudono-san can only be climbed in winter. But you knew that already because you read my post, right? Right!?

Https://www.timbunting.com/yudono

#japan #japantravel #japansnow #snowyjapan #dewasanzan #yudonosan

Post no bills. About the only functioning thing

Post no bills.

About the only functioning thing around here it seems.

#smalltownjapan #japanretro #retro #retrojapan #ruraljapan #japanpost

The dream. A Kei van and an old building to keep y

The dream. A Kei van and an old building to keep you company.

#ruraljapan #smalltownjapan #keitruck #keicar #sakata #yamagata

The humble vending machine. Available at every cor

The humble vending machine. Available at every corner, in every kind of weather. #japan #japanlife #japanphoto #japanfocus

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Join Yamabushi Training at https://www.yamabushido.jp. Tell them I sent you.

Master Yamabushi Takeharu Kato asks me about life on the mountains of Japan as a Master Yamabushi.

We dive deep into:

The Respect for Ancestors: How Mount Gassan, the world of the afterlife, transformed my understanding of my own roots and our collective connection to humanity.

The Maori Connection: The surprising realization that the mountain I grew up on in New Zealand, bridging my childhood with my current practice in Japan.

Living by Uketamo: What it means to let your "sensing mind" lead and how to stop the "monkey brain" from clouding your judgment.

The Magic of the Mountains: Why we lead people into storms, cold waterfalls, and deep snow to prove that they are capable of much more than they think.

Whether you are looking for a challenge to prove you are alive or simply want to understand the ancient philosophy of the Yamabushi, this conversation is an invitation to stop thinking and start doing.

"It's better to regret something you did than something you didn't do."

#Yamabushi #Uketamo #Japan #MountainPhilosophy #PersonalTransformation #Ancestry #Mindfulness #UketamoTalks #DewaSanzan

Takatori-yama is very much a locals’ mountain. It’s not especially famous, and it doesn’t have the grand aura of Zao or Gassan. Yet that’s exactly what makes it so refreshing; a quiet, brisk hike through forest, farmland, and viewpoints that connect you to the everyday landscapes of Yamagata.

Full article:
https://www.timbunting.com/mountains/takatori

Yamabushi Newsletter:
https://www.kiwiyamabushi.com

If you enjoyed this, check out my other videos on Yamagata’s hidden mountains.

#Japan #Yamagata #Hiking

How did I end up giving my girlfriend funeral flowers?
What do chrysanthemums really mean in Japan?
And why are they connected to death, the Imperial family, and even food?

This is the story of my biggest cultural mistake in Japan, how I learned NEVER TRUST THE CHRYSANTHEMUMS!!

Original article this video is based on:
https://timbunting.com/chrysanthemums/

Kiwi Yamabushi Newsletter:
Get deep dives into rural Japan, Shugendō, and Yamabushi culture in your inbox:
https://kiwiyamabushi.com

✨ Paid subscribers get early access!
This video was released a week earlier for paid newsletter subscribers. If you’d like to support my work (and get early access + exclusive content), consider upgrading here:
👉 https://www.kiwiyamabushi.com/

💬 Have you ever made a cultural mistake abroad? Share your story in the comments! I’d love to hear it so I know I'm not alone!

#Japan #CultureShock #KiwiYamabushi #CulturalMistakes #JapanFlowers #Chrysanthemum #RuralJapan

Image credits:
📸 All footage and images shot and edited by me in Yamagata, Japan.

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Sakata City, Yamagata, Japan

timb008@gmail.com

All photos my own unless otherwise stated. Contact for more.