How do you know when you’ve become a Yamabushi?
Master Hoshino resting during yamabushi training on Mt. Gassan.
It’s not the white clothes.
It’s not the yamabushi name.
It’s not even the Uketamo.
It’s when your prayers shift from being about yourself, to being about the world.
And this month, we’re about to witness that shift first-hand.
Later this month, five participants directly connected to Yamabushidō will enter the Akinomine, the Autumn’s Peak Ritual run by Dewa Sanzan Jinja:
Two who joined the Masters Yamabushi Training last year will enter for the first time.
Another former Basic and Masters Yamabushi Training participant will enter for the third time, earning the vermillion and white futodasuki sash, showing deep commitment to the mountains.
Two Yamabushido instructors will receive their own futodasuki.
And one more will enter for the fifth time and receive the Sendatsu designation, becoming a guide and leader in the tradition.
While the Akinomine Autumn’s Peak Rituals run by Dewa Sanzan Jinja and Shozen’in Koganedo Temple are the official yamabushi rituals, our Masters and Basic Trainings serve as something just as vital: a gateway.
Through our programs, international participants can access the same spirit, philosophy, and training that our Yamabushido masters themselves undertook on their own path.
We never claim to offer “authentic" yamabushi training. That title belongs solely to the Autumn Peak Rituals. But our role is clear: to provide sincere, grounded access to this powerful tradition, and prepare those who feel the call to go deeper.
And the path is working.
To date, eight former Yamabushido participants, five men and three women, have become official yamabushi. Many now serve as guides, teachers, and community leaders, carrying the mountain’s wisdom far beyond Japan.
These aren’t just personal milestones, though.
They’re moments when one person’s transformation begins to ripple outward into their community, their country, and the world.
Because true yamabushi training doesn’t end when you reach the top of the mountain. It begins when you descend, carrying something larger than yourself.
Ready to experience this for yourself?
Two participants on this Masters Yamabushi Training from last year will join the Akinomine Autumn's Peak Ritual this year.
Yamabushi training isn’t about ideas. it’s about walking, breathing, and sensing with your whole body. Until your prayers begin to flow not just for yourself, but for all humanity.
Join us on the mountains, where every step becomes a prayer for the world.
