Donald Richie, novelist, essayist, composer, journalist, and film scholar was born in Ohio but spent most of life witnessing and reporting on the transformation of Japan from the postwar devastation to its economic resurgence. He was the author of some forty books of fiction and nonfiction, dozens of speeches and essays, and hundreds of book, film, and arts reviews. Ben Simmons studied photography and psychology before completing a Master of Fine Arts in photography and art history. He taught photography at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina before relocating to Japan. Owner of Ben Simmons Photography Inc., he travels the world to capture evocative images for assignments, photo essays, books, and original prints. Recent books include Traditional Japanese Architecture and Kyoto: City of Zen.