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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.

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.

ALL

DAILY YAMABUSHI

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

It’s not about the money

What good is recognition from having the most money as opposed to having your ideas spread? It's about having an idea and sharing it. It's about thinking about who you are serving, and building something for them. Share the idea. The idea of a trip to the Japanese countryside. The idea of living in a […]

Sport and games

I have a friend who states that he doesn't like sport. He sees it as useless back and forth (but he also loves games, which I consider a sport, I think he means like rugby, soccer and stuff). Anyway, it's obvious that he wasn't very good at sport, otherwise you probably wouldn't say this. If […]

Acknowledgement of Tatemae

Japanese hospitality in general is much better than in NZ, but the lack of human emotion can be painful at times. In NZ, people are less fake, meaning that you can usually tell straight away how they are feeling, whether they really want to be in their position, or whether they're just passing the motions. […]

Moderation is for losers

In the corner of the table of any Japanese kitchen, more likely near a tv, you will find a pile of snacks. For someone who has grown up with them, they are a great lesson of self control. For someone who hasn't, they are a reminder that you need self control. For me especially, I […]

The aim in learning a language

The aim to learn a language is not to learn a language. The aim to learn a language is to be able to use that language to get things done. This should be the core of language learning, not learning the language for the sake of learning it. Only learning a language for the sake […]

A reminder to live

When someone close to you dies, it can be really hard. But it can also be a really good chance. Only those who have experienced this will truly appreciate it, but having someone close to you die is a reminder for you to live. Once it happens, a lot of the little things start to […]

Controlling control

In recent years I've taken on the Stoic philosophy espoused excellently in this book. It's safe to say that this book had an enormously positive impact on my life, as in the past few years I've been through a lot, today is actually exactly 3 years after my father died, but this book has allowed […]