Richard Pearce, originally from the UK, is a long term resident of Tottori Prefecture, the least populated prefecture in Japan. He works as a nature guide and adventure tour leader in Japan and Bhutan. Alongside his love for nature, Richard is a practitioner of Shugendo, an ancient form of mountain asceticism. In 2021, along with his wife Kazumi, he founded a Non-profit organisation called Sustainable Daisen. Sustainable Daisen's mission is to promote sustainable practices which will ensure the survival of the Japanese giant salamander and the conservation of its environment.