Richard Pearce

Richard has been obsessed with animals since he was a small child growing up in the beautiful Cotswolds area of England. His initial wanderlust took him to Africa several times with experiences including conducting forest research in Tanzania and Madagascar before qualifying as a Safari Guide in South Africa. However, having moved to the rural prefecture of Tottori in Japan by chance in 2006, Richard felt a special connection with the sacred mountains of Daisen and Mitoku and he decided to make Japan his home. He has been working as a nature and adventure tourism guide throughout Asia since 2013, with a particular focus on Japan and Bhutan. 

Richard has been leading Japanese Giant Salamander conservation experiences since 2018, after being asked by the Japanese Ministry of Environment to assist in creating an eco-tour to further their conservation efforts. Having grown aware of the increasing need to protect the Japanese Giant Salamander within the Mount Daisen area, the idea of creating an Non-Profit Organization to help protect all aspects of the natural environment was discussed and "Sustainable Daisen NPO" was born with Richard as its leader.

Richard looks forward to sharing the many wonders of Japan with Naturetrek clients.