Donald Richie is what you might call an old "Japan Hand" meaning he's learned the terrain so well as any foreigner might. And maybe even moreso. So far I have read one book by him: Tokyo: A View of the City, and a collection of his writings, The Donald Richie Reader.

Since he lived in Ueno near Uguisudani, I rung him up and we met for lunch in January 2002.

• Metropolis's Donald Richie Interview
• A page on the book 50 years of Richie Reader, with much acclaim.
• Donald Richie passed away in February 2013 - the New York Times has a Donald Richie obituary.