TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI


I hate studying. But I love learning.

January 19, 2026

Flip it on its head

I’m changing lanes

January 18, 2026

Being the bigger person

Would you dedicate an hour to it?

January 17, 2026

On conscious consumption

Your time to get better

January 16, 2026

Time that demands respect

The Playlist

January 15, 2026

Gets better with more input

You’ve got a Story Now

January 14, 2026

No action, no story

Just delete

January 13, 2026

The answer is less. Not more.

FEATURE ARTICLES

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

Say Sayonara to Sayonara: Japanese words that are misunderstood

And the best way to learn the real meaning of words

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
Why do yamabushi do yamabushi training?

Yamabushi gotta yamabushi.

The Deep Meaning Behind Tea Ceremony’s Most Famous Concept

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

Mountains and Moments

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

Living in a Dying Japanese City

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

Mt. Chokai
Falling for the Gaijin Trap Trap

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

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

Here's what I learned.

Don’t trust the chrysanthemums.

The forgotten festival and Japanese cultural faux pas #2934

The Curse of Yamagata’s Mountains

Watch the view. Or maybe don't.

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

Feat. Sakata Rice Crackers!

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?

It’s eel day. Don’t mow your lawn.

And the Japanese Colonel Sanders’ golden idea

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.

The Best Sushi in Japan

And the red man who lead us to it

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

Quite a lot, actually.

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

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.

Bananas and Cokes, Leaches and Pit Vipers

How a group of elderly Japanese men saved our arses

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

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

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

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

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

Hiking Japan’s Forgotten Highway: Sabane-yama and Ushu-Kaido (Mt. Sabane)

The odd connection between Osaka castle, the Shinkansen and Shinjuku, and the 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

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.

The Heavenly Hideaway of Daizumori-yama

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

Mt. Chokai
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).

Sign on the Nakanomata Trail up Mt. Nihonkoku
This is How I Conquered Japan!

How to conquer Japan in 60 short minutes

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. 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

Tokami-yama and The Castle of Mist

And its role in north Japan's fiercest war

Yamabushi

Here are some blog posts about yamabushi.

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi looks out over Mt. Chokai from Mt. Gassan
YAMABUSHI

Random Posts

accomplishment action adult adventure
Flower in Japan in autumn shot by Tim Bunting

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