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:
As a Master Yamabushi and the creator of DewaSanzan.com, I believe I’m the most knowledgeable native English speaker on these sacred mountains.
Here are some of my Daily Yamabushi posts. Get more here.
In Yamabushi training, we don't write things down because humans write things down to read them later, and this means we aren't practicing living in the moment, one of the main aims of the training. When I do the Akinomineiri Ritual in August, I'm going to have to decide how to continue this blog. Should […]
At the start of class in Japan, the students all stand up, now to the teacher, and sit down before lessons start. Supposedly this is to show their respect to the teacher. I have no problem with students showing their respect to the teacher, but I'd rather they did it by putting in the effort […]
There's only so much you can save, but the amount you can earn is infinite. No matter how much you cut your expenses, you won't be able to live as well as if you had increased income. Focus on increasing your income, but at the same time don't ignore the expenses. This could be the […]
Whenever you do a native check or are checking a translation, there is a rule that you only change what needs changing. I didn't actually know this until I had someone coach me through a job, but it's a rule that makes a lot of sense, and saves a lot of trouble. It's not only […]
The fact that your ideas are being shared should be enough. It shows that you were on the right track. It only really matters if you get the credit if your livelihood depends on it, which it doesn't. Anyway, you should be able to make up for it in some way. So don't fret.

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Sakata City, Yamagata, Japan
timb008@gmail.com
All photos my own unless otherwise stated. Contact for more.