TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI


Changing the future

April 20, 2025

Like changing the past

Easier done then said

April 19, 2025

Do first.

However slow you go

April 18, 2025

You’re still going

Make it. Do it.

April 17, 2025

Get it out in the world

Don’t even think about it

April 16, 2025

Just get started

But make it you did

April 15, 2025

And makes a world of difference

The Different Path

April 14, 2025

See where it leads you

FEATURE ARTICLES

Here are a few samples of what you find in my newsletter, Mountains of Wisdom.

Yamabushi Gear Explainer: The Futodasuki Sash

The vermillion and white sash represents yin and yang, the vast cosmos and the natural world.

Kumomi: The Next Japanese Sensation

Those clouds aren't going to watch themselves!

The Badass Fudomyo’o: Your new Favourite Buddhist Deity

You’ll find him near waterfalls all over Japan.

Chokai-zan
Japan’s Rothschilds and The Port City of Sakata

Why do I live in Yamagata? Why don’t I live in Tokyo or Osaka with the rest of them?

women in red and white kimono standing in front of the temple
How this little-known Japanese craft changed my life forever

This might be the most important thing I write this year.

The Astounding Waterfalls of Chokai-san

The waterfalls of Chokai-san

Why is Jizo-san EVERYWHERE in Japan?

Spend even a tiny amount of time in Japan, and you may notice a strange yet comforting presence.

Mt. Chokai above the sea of Japan
Emperor on a Boat Day

Or 'Marine Day'. If you really want.

Mt. Chokai
Falling for the Gaijin Trap Trap

That is not a typo. Everyone has to fall in sometime...

black camera recorder
‘Foreigner in a Suit’ and The Beginner’s Mind

'Foreigner in a suit' and The Beginner's Mind

Matsuo Basho and The Power of Haiku

How to capture nature in the written word

Mongols, Kamikaze, and a mountain in northern Japan

The Legend of Haguro-san's Bell Tower

The Land of Salmon and Sake: How Sakata (Sake Rice Field) got its name

Feat. Sakata Rice Crackers!

person holding world globe facing mountain
Searching for your Ikigai? Read this first.

I left my Ikigai on Mt. Haguro

Can you believe this is *not* Tokyo?

Well, can you?

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

Here are a few posts of my adventures climbing the 100 Famous Mountains of Yamagata.

Bananas and Cokes, Leaches and Pit Vipers

How a group of elderly Japanese men saved our arses

Sanze village near Mt. Fujikura surrounded by green mountains and the blue Sea of Japan can be seen through the trees in the distance through the trees of Mt. Fujikura
Sanze’s Little Helper: Fantastic Fujikura-yama (Mt. Fujikura)

Fun little peak in the tiny fishing village of Sanze, Tsuruoka City

Kurosawa Akira, Abe Shinzo, The Kami of War, and a flock of geese?

Mountain that marks the entrance to the Kamuro Alps

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

The Pyramids of… Japan? — Yakushi-san and The OG Japan content creator (Mt. Yakushi)

Small pyramidal peak in the northern Yamagata town of Kaneyama

Mt. Yudono Shrine Gates during the autumn
The Dewa Sanzan’s Mountain of Rebirth: Yudono-san (Mt. Yudono)

Yudono-san is the final Dewa Sanzan peak in the middle of Yamagata Prefecture that has been a central destination for millions over the centuries

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

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

Mt. Yamuki (Yamuki-yama) in Shinjo City
The Medieval Castle and Mighty River of Yamuki-yama (Mt. Yamuki)

Tiny peak that was home to a medieval castle along the banks of the mighty Mogami River.

This mountain is EVERYWHERE in Japan: Ha-yama

Former Dewa Sanzan peak in inland Yamagata Prefecture with an extensive Shugendo and Mountain Worship history.

Zao-san and Why We Climb Mountains (Mt. Zao)

Zao-san: Snow monsters, ski fields, mountain hags, multi-coloured crater lakes, hot springs, and more.

Sign on the Nakanomata Trail up Mt. Nihonkoku
This is How I Conquered Japan!

How to conquer Japan in 60 short minutes

A Jizo statue at the top of Mt. Kyogakura in Sakata
Womb Passes and Monkey Crossings: Kyogakura-san “The Shugendo Peak of Sutras” (Mt. Kyogakura)

This tiny Shugendo peak and how the Japanese language got three alphabets

Mt. Chokai
The best Fuji alternative: Chokai-san

Dewa Fuji, The Fuji of The North, Chokai-san, Mt. Chokai: Tallest peak entirely in Tohoku often said to resemble Mt. Fuji, leading to the name Dewa Fuji (after the former province of Dewa).

Panoramas and picnics under the Sakura: Kita-yama (Mt. Kitayama)

Former ski field turned into a Sakura-lover’s paradise on the outskirts of Murayama City

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.

Yamabushi

Here are some blog posts about yamabushi.

Mt. Ubagatake in autumn
man in white t shirt and black pants in a running position
Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi at Yamadera in Yamagata Prefecture
YAMABUSHI

Random Posts

person running near street between tall trees
Tim Bunting AKA Kiwi Yamabushi on Zao-san

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