TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

KIWI YAMABUSHI

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
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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

My Substack newsletter articles are free to read for a week, but you can just get them sent to your email for free if you subscribe. After that, they are only available to paid subscribers. However, articles that get more than 1,000 reads I put here so everyone can enjoy them. All of the articles can be found here.

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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.

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DAILY YAMABUSHI

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

Fine China

Aesthetically pleasing. Serves tea. Valuable. Special significance. Sits in a cupboard. Takes up space. Why do we have it? You realise how useless some things are when you're put in charge of cleaning up after someone else. I'm not going to let that become me. Get rid of stuff if you never use it, you're […]

Fanboying

This morning I went for a swim at my local swimming hole and who should show up but the Hurricanes rugby team. I’ve been a fan of this team since before they started way back in the mid-90s, and to see them in real life was something special. It was just two nights ago that […]

Make yourself the default option

I’ve realised that in a few areas I have become the default option. By being one of the only native-English-speaker bilinguals in my region, I am consulted by people when it comes to internationalization. I have been asked to help with developing the Dewa Sanzan and recently with the development of Sakata City as an […]

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KIWI YAMABUSHI

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi

Get updates from the mountains of Japan in your email for free! Sign up for the Kiwi Yamabushi newsletter here.

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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. 8/100
How did I end up interpreting for Olympic champions? What’s it like helping Japan host a national sports team? And how did a Starbucks coffee turn into an Olympic opportunity? This is the story of how I accidentally became a host advisor for Sakata City, helping pitch to host the New Zealand triathlon team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Original Pitch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvodYD0lgAQ&ab_channel=sakatacity 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/ 💬 Ever had a moment where one random conversation changed everything? Let me know in the comments! #Olympics #NewZealand #Japan #RuralJapan #Yamabushi #Triathlon #HostTown #Shonai #Tokyo2020 Image credits: 📸 All footage and images shot and edited by me on location in Sakata, Yamagata, Japan. 7/100
Why do Yamabushi stand under freezing waterfalls? What does it have to do with a flaming, sword-wielding Buddha? And what can it teach us about staying still in chaos? Find out in the video. Original article: https://timbunting.com/fudomyo/ Kiwi Yamabushi Newsletter: Get deep dives into life in rural Japan, Shugendō, and Yamabushi training straight to 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 tried cold water training or experienced a ritual that pushed your limits? Share your story in the comments! #Yamabushi #WaterfallMeditation #Shugendo #JapanTravel #FudoMyoo Image credits: Vairocana By Unknown author - https://m.sohu.com/n/486519965/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79567958 By Patrick20242023 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150342967 Bardo By Nyingma Lineage - http://www.himalayanart.org/image.cfm/505.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15799231 Tokin image from Irasutoya 大きな杖、ほら貝の笛、ぼんぼんの付いた結袈裟など、独特な装備をして山の中で修業をする、山伏（やまぶし）のイラストです。 https://www.irasutoya.com/2015/11/blog-post_59.html Gomakito 唐山健志郎 at the Japanese language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/, via Wikimedia Commons ELternal2025, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Acala Kaikei, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Shoren’in Unknown Photo: TOKYODO Co., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Five Wisdom Kings By Unknown author - Traditional Japanese painting of the Five Wisdom Kings, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33670320 6/100
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Sakata City, Yamagata, Japan 

timb008@gmail.com

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

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