What do Yamabushi do? What does it mean to be a Yamabushi?
The perennial question for us followers of Shugendo
Living in a Dying Japanese City
Whether by man or by nature, these buildings are disappearing. And they are disappearing fast.
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.
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.
The mystical mountain men of Japan
Featuring The Legend of how Japan's most famous mountain man couldn't quite handle it
The Land of The Rising Moon-Sun
How Japan switched from a Lunisolar to a Gregorian Calendar. Or tried to, at least.
I spent a week in the Japanese mountains training as an ascetic.
Here's what I learned.
The Town of Dual Dragons
And the legends they created.
What does The Last Samurai have to with Japan’s Silk Industry?
Quite a lot, actually.
Uketamo: the philosophy to live by
Uketamo has a long, long history.
Why do SHOGUN deserve their own shrine?
The warlord to end all warlords
Mongols, Kamikaze, and a mountain in northern Japan
The Legend of Haguro-san's Bell Tower
The Deep Meaning Behind Tea Ceremony’s Most Famous Concept
Ichigo Ichie - One moment, one meeting. One chance in a lifetime.
The hidden Onsen (Hot Spring) town of Atsumi's own hidden gem
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.
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
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).
THIS. IS. YAMAGARTA: Japan’s 300 Moment.
How this tiny peak turned feudal Japan’s biggest battle on its head
The Heavenly Hideaway of Daizumori-yama
The best effort / reward ratio in Yamagata. Bar none.
The Epitome of Autumn Leaves in North Japan: Taizo-san (Mt. Taizo)
Mount Taizo all but single-handedly confirms why autumn is by far the best season for hiking in Japan.
Turtles, Tigers, and a Legendary Japanese Character: Kamewari-yama (Mt. Kamewari)
Legendary location next to a quaint Onsen (hot spring) resort along the Oguni River in Mogami Town
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.
How NOT to climb a mountain in winter
Forget Hakuba. Forget Hokkaido. White-Boy Mountain is where it’s at.
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