Blog - Tim Bunting

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI

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

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

FEATURE ARTICLES

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

The World’s Best Dojo

It's not where you think

Autumn’s Peak Ritual 2024

Joining a Yamabushi Initiation Ritual

Falling for the Gaijin Trap Trap

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

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?

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.

Hand holding chopsticks drawing, vintage

Why we eat what we eat at Obon

How to prove you are smarter than a Japanese person.

What do Yamabushi do? What does it mean to be a Yamabushi?

The perennial question for us followers of Shugendo

The Slow Demise of the Japanese City

One Traffic Light at a Time

Kumomi: The Next Japanese Sensation

Those clouds aren't going to watch themselves!

The Land of The Rising Moon-Sun

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

The Land of Salmon and Sake: How Sakata (Sake Rice Field) got its name

Feat. Sakata Rice Crackers!

person holding world globe facing mountain

Searching for your Ikigai? Read this first.

I left my Ikigai on Mt. Haguro

Why do yamabushi do yamabushi training?

Yamabushi gotta yamabushi.

Uketamo and What The Mountains Teach You

Stop for a moment to be in the moment

This Yamabushi Brought Me To Tears

A story from yamabushi training

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

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

Small pyramidal peak in the northern Yamagata town of Kaneyama

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.-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

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

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

The Swamp Monster of Yozo

Ancient trail of primeval beech forests, legendary swamp monsters, waterfalls, snow bridges, 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.

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 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

This mountain is EVERYWHERE in Japan: Ha-yama

Former Dewa Sanzan peak in inland Yamagata Prefecture with an extensive Shugendo and Mountain Worship history.

The Heavenly Hideaway of Daizumori-yama

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

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 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).