Blog - Tim Bunting

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI

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

Par for the Course

March 1, 2026

A Complacent Person’s Trap

The Destination Only Matters When we get There

February 28, 2026

Until then just enjoy the ride

A Good Tough

February 27, 2026

A good place to be

FEATURE ARTICLES

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

Matsuo Basho and The Power of Haiku

How to capture nature in the written word

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

Here's what I learned.

Japan’s Rothschilds and The Port City of Sakata

Why do I live in Yamagata? Why don’t I live in Tokyo or Osaka with the rest of them?

The real star of Japanese cuisine

How this humble plant made it to the top of my list of Japanese foods

The Town of Dual Dragons

And the legends they created.

The Badass Fudomyo’o: Your new Favourite Buddhist Deity

You’ll find him near waterfalls all over Japan.

How this little-known Japanese craft changed my life forever

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

The Slow Demise of the Japanese City

One Traffic Light at a Time

Hand holding chopsticks drawing, vintage

Why we eat what we eat at Obon

How to prove you are smarter than a Japanese person.

Prescribe Nature

And the ultimate in Japanese mountain warriors

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.

Yamabushi Gear Explainer: The Futodasuki Sash

The vermillion and white sash represents yin and yang, the vast cosmos and the natural world.

Say Sayonara to Sayonara: Japanese words that are misunderstood

And the best way to learn the real meaning of words

My Love Affair with North Japan’s Tallest Peak

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

The Deep Meaning Behind Tea Ceremony’s Most Famous Concept

Ichigo Ichie - One moment, one meeting. One chance in a lifetime.

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

How NOT to climb a mountain in winter

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

Sign on the Nakanomata Trail up Mt. Nihonkoku

This is How I Conquered Japan!

How to conquer Japan in 60 short minutes

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.

The Heavenly Hideaway of Daizumori-yama

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

Kurosawa Akira, Abe Shinzo, The Kami of War, and a flock of geese?

Mountain that marks the entrance to the Kamuro Alps

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).