TIM BUNTING

KIWI YAMABUSHI

山伏

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi on Mt. Gassan

キウイ

DAILY YAMABUSHI


The Happiness Multiplier

January 31, 2026

Sharing it.

Which ‘in kind’ would you like?

January 30, 2026

Responding in Kind

Uketamo on Autopilot

January 29, 2026

Having a default relieves the burden

This is me doing the thing

January 28, 2026

See where it takes us

Being Busy Being Busy

January 27, 2026

Recalibrate until you’re over it

More Trouble Than It’s Worth

January 26, 2026

So leave it at that.

Not Enough Shugyo Training

January 25, 2026

Is usually (always) the answer

FEATURE ARTICLES

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

Kumomi: The Next Japanese Sensation

Those clouds aren't going to watch themselves!

The World’s Best Dojo

It's not where you think

On Ramen: The Best Food in Japan

Yamagata in its rightful place

The real star of Japanese cuisine

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

Matsuo Basho and The Power of Haiku

How to capture nature in the written word

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.

How this little-known Japanese craft changed my life forever

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

Mt. Chokai
Falling for the Gaijin Trap Trap

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

Yukidaruma: The Japanese Art of Always Building Snowmen With Two Balls Instead of Three Because Why Waste Your Time and Energy?

You had me at 'Japanese art'.

The mystical mountain men of Japan

Featuring The Legend of how Japan's most famous mountain man couldn't quite handle it

The Uniquely Japanese Superpower

Do this and you can officially call yourself Japanese

What The Mountains of Japan Taught Me

Knowledge has nothing on experience

The Best Sushi in Japan

And the red man who lead us to it

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
The Futodasuki Yamabushi Sash

Why do Shinto yamabushi wear the strange vermillion sash? What special meanings does the Futodasuki hold? What does the mirror represent?

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

The perennial question for us followers of Shugendo

MOUNTAINS OF YAMAGATA

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

A Ryokan (traditional Japanese Inn) at Semi Onsen Hot Spring Resort
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

The Swamp Monster of Yozo

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

Bananas and Cokes, Leaches and Pit Vipers

How a group of elderly Japanese men saved our arses

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).

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

 Legends and landscapes on an epic hike along the Ou Mountains

The Heavenly Hideaway of Daizumori-yama

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

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

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

Mt. Haguro's Five Story Pagoda
Why This Tiny Mountain MUST be on Your Japan Itinerary: Haguro-san

Home to Haguro Shugendo and the Dewa Sanzan Yamabushi mountain monks

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

Small pyramidal peak in the northern Yamagata town of Kaneyama

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.

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

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.

Mt. Yamuki (Yamuki-yama) in Shinjo City
The Medieval Castle and Mighty River of Yamuki-yama (Mt. Yamuki)

Tiny peak that was home to a medieval castle along the banks of the mighty Mogami River.

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

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.

Yamabushi

Here are some blog posts about yamabushi.

Tim Bunting Kiwi Yamabushi
A Jizo statue at the top of Mt. Kyogakura in Sakata
YAMABUSHI

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