Rob Goss first came to Japan in 1999 to teach English for a year. Two years at the most was the plan. Like so many other former English teachers, however, Rob has ended up staying far longer in Tokyo without really knowing why. Cupid's arrow certainly played a part, as did the pitter-patter of part-Japanese, part-British baby feet that followed. Living in a metropolis that never ceases to amaze has helped too. Then there's having a job he loves—writing about Japan for magazines such as Time and National Geographic Traveler and, at latest count, some 70 other magazines, book publishers and newspapers around the globe.

Judith Clancy served in the Peace Corps in Korea from 1967 to 1969 bringing her to this part of the world. Fulfilling a childhood dream, she came to live in Kyoto in 1970. The culture captivated her from the start and became an affair of the heart as she learned the language, Ikebana, and the tea ceremony. During that time, she taught at several universities, and worked in a major Japanese company. She is the author of Exploring Kyoto: On Foot in the Ancient Capital, Kyoto: City of Zen, Kyoto Machiya Restaurant Guide, Kyoto Gardens, and The Alluring World of Geiko and Maiko.