Home - Tim Bunting

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.

The role of the education system

The role of the education system should be to create people with the ability to share and enact upon their ideas. These two ideas encompass so much of education, the ability to share ideas means you are not afraid nor incapable of spreading them. The ability to enact upon them means again you are not […]

Book Judging

You step into the door of your local cafe and the whiff of freshly brewed coffee hits you as you hold up one finger to indicate you're there for a cup of the brown stuff on your lonesome. The stern eyes of the grumpy old man look at you on an otherwise expressionless face, and […]

In spite of… because of…

When life hits you, it hits hard. Sometimes life hits you hard a lot, and it's hard to keep your head up. Here's my tip. Use these things as motivation to keep your head up. Change your thinking from 'I can't do this because of [life event(s)]', to 'I'm doing this in spite of [life […]

Robbie the Miniature Daschund

This poor old dog has been through a lot. He's had surgery on his legs after being in an accident, we weren't sure he'd survive, but he has and now he's old enough to be deaf. That hasn't stopped him barking at the old man that lives here. The funny thing is, he often runs […]

Alternative Routes

Take them. See where they lead you. If they happen to be a shortcut, great, use it in future. If they happen to be a waste of time, even better, you've learned that it's best not to take that route in future. It might seem like a risk to take alternative routes, but if there […]

Reacting vs. acting

This is something I've found myself fighting a lot recently. It's a lesson I've heard before, but to have it reiterated by one of my favourite people, unironically by the person who I most often hear it from, makes it that much stronger. When you're under pressure to make money for your survival, it can […]

Time to Breathe

When you're feeling flustered, or otherwise unsettled, just remember that taking time out can help you. Sometimes your mind is being irrational, notice it, live with it, and take the time to breathe. This is where mindfulness practice can come into play, meditation is a good way to calm down, it's worth taking the time […]