TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI


Do you have a genuine excuse?

July 3, 2025

Prove it.

Resistance training

July 2, 2025

The Uketamo Type

Inertia

July 1, 2025

A push in the right direction

Ready or not

June 30, 2025

Make it automatic

She is testing you

June 29, 2025

To make you a better you

The Team Player

June 28, 2025

Standards set.

Because Uketamo

June 27, 2025

That’s why you do it

FEATURE ARTICLES

Here are a few samples of what you find in my newsletter, Mountains of Wisdom.

This Yamabushi Brought Me To Tears

A story from yamabushi training

The Uniquely Japanese Superpower

Do this and you can officially call yourself Japanese

Autumn’s Peak Ritual 2024

Joining a Yamabushi Initiation Ritual

My Love Affair with North Japan’s Tallest Peak

Chokai-san: The Sparkling Gem in Tohoku's Eye

Mt. Chokai above the sea of Japan
The Creepy Legend of the Yokai of Chokai-san (Mt. Chokai)

The creepy legend of how Chokai-san (Mt. Chokai) got its distinct shape, and how Yamagata Prefecture's only inhabited island was formed.

Mt. Ubagatake in autumn
What does it mean to be ‘Spirited Away’?

The Japanese title for Spirited Away is Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi 千と千尋の神隠し.

Living in a Dying Japanese City

Whether by man or by nature, these buildings are disappearing. And they are disappearing fast.

sushi on brown wooden board
The Best Sushi in Japan

And the red man who lead us to it

body of water during golden hour
The Land of The Rising Moon-Sun

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

On Ramen: The Best Food in Japan

Yamagata in its rightful place

women in red and white kimono standing in front of the temple
How this little-known Japanese craft changed my life forever

This might be the most important thing I write this year.

A Jizo statue at the top of Mt. Kyogakura in Sakata
Uketamo: the philosophy to live by

Uketamo has a long, long history.

The World’s Best Dojo

It's not where you think

Hand holding chopsticks drawing, vintage
Why we eat what we eat at Obon

How to prove you are smarter than a Japanese person.

a giant eel with a cleaner shrimp
It’s eel day. Don’t mow your lawn.

And the Japanese Colonel Sanders’ golden idea

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

The Heavenly Hideaway of Daizumori-yama

The best effort / reward ratio in Yamagata. Bar none.

Mt. Yudono Shrine Gates during the autumn
The Dewa Sanzan’s Mountain of Rebirth: Yudono-san (Mt. Yudono)

Yudono-san is the final Dewa Sanzan peak in the middle of Yamagata Prefecture that has been a central destination for millions over the centuries

Mt. Haguro's Five Story Pagoda
Why This Tiny Mountain MUST be on Your Japan Itinerary: Haguro-san

Home to Haguro Shugendo and the Dewa Sanzan Yamabushi mountain monks

Mt.-Takadate-and-Shimoike-lake-in-Tsuruoka
Wetland Wonderland of Takadate-yama

Takadate-yama is short in stature, but packs a lot of punch as home to one of the only RAMSAR wetlands in Japan

Mt. Atsumi in Atsumi Onsen, a quaint Onsen Hot Spring town in Tsuruoka, Yamagata Prefecture
Reaching Peak Tranquility: Atsumi-dake (Mt. Atsumi)

The hidden Onsen (Hot Spring) town of Atsumi's own hidden gem

THIS. IS. YAMAGARTA: Japan’s 300 Moment. 

How this tiny peak turned feudal Japan’s biggest battle on its head

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.

Venerable Old Man Mountain — The Mist and Mystery of Okina-san (Mt. Okina)

 Legends and landscapes on an epic hike along the Ou Mountains

Exploring The Yamabushi Trails of Kinbo-zan (Mt. Kinbo)

Kinbo-zan is a dynamic little peak with a deep history of Shugendo.

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

Mt. Shogadake
Dancing in the Day Lilies: Shoga-dake

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

Close Encounters of the Tengu Kind

(Murayama) Tengu-yama is a 403-m high peak in Nishikawa town that is home to a Tengu, a yokai or supernatural being.

Mother. Hunter. Mountain. Hokari-yama (Mt. Hokari)

Kinbo Shugen Mountain with a strange name and amazing trails amongst the autumn leaves

Mt. Ubagatake in autumn
The Widow’s Peak: Ubaga-take (Mt. Ubagatake) of North Japan

Must-see autumn alpine dreamland between the two tallest Dewa Sanzan peaks with a twisted backstory

Mt. Yamuki (Yamuki-yama) in Shinjo City
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.

Yamabushi

Here are some blog posts about yamabushi.

Yamabushi
aerial photography of house field and trees covered with snow
Sun rising over Mt. Chokai
YAMABUSHI

Random Posts

brown wooden arrow signed

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