TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI


Trump’s blue suit

April 28, 2025

And my reverse culture shock

Can you do it in silence?

April 27, 2025

Well, can you?

Well on your way

April 26, 2025

While in your way.

When you’re ready

April 25, 2025

Start.

Why Buddhist Monks and Yamabushi Jingle When They Walk: The Shakujo

April 25, 2025

Every jingle of the Shakujo is a call to wake up, a reminder of the six realms we walk through. It's not just a staff, it's a vow in motion.

The personal touch

April 24, 2025

If anything, automate the personal touch

Is there a way? Wrong question.

April 23, 2025

In what ways? Right question.

FEATURE ARTICLES

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

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
(Re) Discovering my origin story

How I came to live in rural Japan

person standing in pathway
One with the Mountains

In your element, in the elements

coffee beans
Japan’s Two Biggest Obsessions

Starbucks is decidedly NOT a Kissaten

Uketamo and What The Mountains Teach You

Stop for a moment to be in the moment

Dragons and how they protect my house in Japan

One major role for dragons in Japan (besides protecting my house)

sushi on brown wooden board
The Best Sushi in Japan

And the red man who lead us to it

person holding world globe facing mountain
Searching for your Ikigai? Read this first.

I left my Ikigai on Mt. Haguro

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

How to prove you are smarter than a Japanese person.

Don’t trust the chrysanthemums.

The forgotten festival and Japanese cultural faux pas #2934

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

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

Feat. Sakata Rice Crackers!

coffee beans
Joining a Local Japanese Coffee Brewing Competition

Notice I didn't say 'winning'.

Can you believe this is *not* Tokyo?

Well, can you?

The Slow Demise of the Japanese City

One Traffic Light at a Time

Mountains and Moments

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

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

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. 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).

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.

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

Tokami-yama and The Castle of Mist

And its role in north Japan's fiercest war

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

 Legends and landscapes on an epic hike along the Ou Mountains

This mountain is EVERYWHERE in Japan: Ha-yama

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Bananas and Cokes, Leaches and Pit Vipers

How a group of elderly Japanese men saved our arses

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

Yamabushi

Here are some blog posts about yamabushi.

Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Kinbo, one of the 100 mountains of Yamagata
sunset men sunrise jogging
YAMABUSHI

Random Posts

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