"The literal translation of Yamabushi is ‘Yama’, meaning mountain, and ‘Bushi’ meaning “bowing down”. So a Yamabushi is a mountain priest or a novice."

In this video, we interviewed Ueno-San, a Yamabushi ascetic monk, who explains what it really means to be a Yamabushi.

You can spend a half day hiking with this Yamabushi ascetic monk and find out about the tough physical training these remarkable individuals undergo in the mountains.