TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI


Roll with the corners

March 11, 2026

Let the momentum do its thing

Only for a minute

March 10, 2026

If that.

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 […]

FEATURE ARTICLES

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

How Cup Noodles and Kawaii Culture made Axolotls famous in Japan

At the time, The Unlimited Teddy Bear was watching footage of Minecraft axolotls in English when they realised the English word for Axolotl was, in fact, Axolotl.

Why are greengrocers called the ‘800 store’ in Japan?

Ask the wives of court nobles of the 14th century...

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
Why do yamabushi do yamabushi training?

Yamabushi gotta yamabushi.

Autumn’s Peak Ritual 2024

Joining a Yamabushi Initiation Ritual

A Coffee Lover’s Guide to Sakata

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

This Yamabushi Brought Me To Tears

A story from yamabushi training

Dealing with death: Some practical Yamabushi advice

Death is an everyday thing. So is living.

Mt. Haguro's Five Story Pagoda
Japan’s Most Popular Destination You’ve Never Heard Of

The pilgrim's lodge village of Toge on Haguro-san

Mountains and Moments

Focus on the step in front of you, not the mountain in the distance.

The Slow Demise of the Japanese City

One Traffic Light at a Time

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.

Living in a Dying Japanese City

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

Can you believe this is *not* Tokyo?

Well, can you?

My Love Affair with North Japan’s Tallest Peak

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

My Japanese Hotel Rookie Mistake

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

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

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.-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

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

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.

Yamagata’s Secluded Secret: Takatori-yama (Mt. Takatori)

Small peak on the edge of Nakayama Town famous for its Kannon Temple and the views it commands.

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

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

Small pyramidal peak in the northern Yamagata town of Kaneyama

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

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.

Yura in Tsuruoka city seen from Mt. Arakura
The Sakura of Arakura-yama

Mountains of Sakura Cherry Blossoms and the serene Arakura Jinja await.

Mt. Maya seen from the distance
Mythical Beasts, Buddha’s Mother, and buried Yamabushi treasure? Welcome to Maya-san (Mt. Maya).

More than one of the best hikes in Shonai

I found an abandoned ski field in Japan

Short and quick hike with views of Chokai-zan and near the Mogami River, Shiraito Falls, and Genso no mori, the Forest of Illusions.

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

Panoramas and picnics under the Sakura: Kita-yama (Mt. Kitayama)

Former ski field turned into a Sakura-lover’s paradise on the outskirts of Murayama City

The sun sets over the ninth station of Mt. Gassan
Gassan, the Dewa Sanzan’s “Mountain of Death” (Mt. Gassan)

The tallest Dewa Sanzan peak with a thriving Haguro Shugendo Yamabushi culture.

Yamabushi

Here are some blog posts about yamabushi.

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
YAMABUSHI

Random Posts

SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER

Like this:

Like Loading...
Scroll to Top