Blog - Tim Bunting

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Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI

Bad news is just a matter of perspective

March 9, 2026

And time

Not Even Trying

March 8, 2026

Is not going to work

Just Accept

March 7, 2026

Just Surrender

What if it goes bad?

March 6, 2026

What if it goes good?

A Win This Time

March 5, 2026

Isn’t a win next time. A win this time isn’t a win next time. A win is a win, but did it teach you much? How much did you truly gain from the experience? Losing is good because it teaches you more. What will you do next time around? Then, if you start winning a […]

That Was Fundamental

March 4, 2026

Moments and Memories

Blame the Pilot

March 2, 2026

The turbulence is real

FEATURE ARTICLES

Here are a few samples of what you find in The Kiwi Yamabushi Newsletter.

The Land of The Rising Moon-Sun

How Japan switched from a Lunisolar to a Gregorian Calendar. Or tried to, at least.

A Jizo statue at the top of Mt. Kyogakura in Sakata

Uketamo: the philosophy to live by

Uketamo has a long, long history.

What does The Last Samurai have to with Japan’s Silk Industry?

Quite a lot, actually.

The World’s Best Dojo

It's not where you think

Japan’s Two Biggest Obsessions

Starbucks is decidedly NOT a Kissaten

Emperor on a Boat Day

Or 'Marine Day'. If you really want.

‘Foreigner in a Suit’ and The Beginner’s Mind

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

A Coffee Lover’s Guide to Sakata

The Best Coffee Spots in Sakata, and what I really think of them

Why do yamabushi do yamabushi training?

Yamabushi gotta yamabushi.

My Japanese Hotel Rookie Mistake

It was the perfect plan. If only I had considered how Japanese hotels operate.

Falling for the Gaijin Trap Trap

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

Cucumber Horses and Eggplant Cows

The one Japanese custom the world needs

Prescribe Nature

And the ultimate in Japanese mountain warriors

Kumomi: The Next Japanese Sensation

Those clouds aren't going to watch themselves!

I spent a week in the Japanese mountains training as an ascetic.

Here's what I learned.

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

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.

How NOT to climb a mountain in winter

Forget Hakuba. Forget Hokkaido. White-Boy Mountain is where it’s at.

Mt. Chokai seen from Mt. Yonetaihei in the winter

Homer Simpson’s Heaven in North Japan: The Donut-shaped Yonetaihei-san (Mt. Yonetaihei)

Tiny donut-shaped peak in Sakegawa Village of the Mogami region worthy of a snowshoe hike.

Dancing in the Day Lilies: Shoga-dake

Shoga-dake is a former Shugendo peak on Chokai-san famous for its floral brilliance.

Sign on the Nakanomata Trail up Mt. Nihonkoku

This is How I Conquered Japan!

How to conquer Japan in 60 short minutes

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.

Why This Tiny Mountain MUST be on Your Japan Itinerary: Haguro-san

Home to Haguro Shugendo and the Dewa Sanzan Yamabushi mountain monks

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

Small pyramidal peak in the northern Yamagata town of Kaneyama

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

The Epitome of Autumn Leaves in North Japan: Taizo-san (Mt. Taizo)

Mount Taizo all but single-handedly confirms why autumn is by far the best season for hiking in Japan.

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).

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