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Kokun

Book 1: The Girl from the West
By Nahoko Uehashi
Series: Kokun
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Brief Description
The first volume of a sweeping fantasy by one of Japan's most beloved storytellers, and the bestselling author of the Moribito series. The vast Umal Empire has flourished for centuries thanks to the miraculous ohaleh rice, a sacred grain brought from a distant land by the... Read More
Format: Hardback
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The first volume in a bestselling Japanese fantasy series

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The first volume of a sweeping fantasy by one of Japan's most beloved storytellers, and the bestselling author of the Moribito series.

The vast Umal Empire has flourished for centuries thanks to the miraculous ohaleh rice, a sacred grain brought from a distant land by the first empress Kokun. Resistant to all parasites, the rice has sustained the empire, ensuring peace and prosperity for centuriesβ€”until now. When a mysterious infestation strikes, famine spreads and the empire begins to crumble.

Fifteen-year-old Aisha, granddaughter of the deposed lord of West Kantal, flees to the imperial capital with her younger brother after a violent coup. There she meets the reigning Kokun, Olieβ€”an enigmatic girl worshipped for her supposed gift of scent, yet secretly powerless. As Aisha uncovers her own latent ability to perceive the natural world through smell, she and Olie form an unlikely alliance.

Together, Aisha and Olie must uncover a hidden history and the truth behind the ohaleh rice, all the while battling forces that threaten not just the empire's survival, but the very balance of nature.

Series: Kokun

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  • Kokun
    The first volume of a sweeping fantasy by one of Japan's most beloved storytellers, and the bestselling author of the Moribito series. The vast Umal Empire has flourished for centuries thanks to the miraculous ohaleh rice, a sacred grain brought from a distant land by the first empress Kokun. Resistant to all parasites, the rice has sustained the empire, ensuring...
    By Nahoko Uehashi
    Hardback
    Sold Out

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781787706095

Publisher: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 12 February 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Europa Editions (UK) Ltd

Contributors:

  • Translated by Cathy Hirano

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 135.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 304

Collections

Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Fantasy Fiction General Fiction Nahoko Uehashi Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series: Kokun Young Adult

About the Author

A fantasy writer and cultural anthropologist with a PhD from Rikkyo University, Nahoko Uehashi is an associate professor at Kawamura Gakuen University. Her research focuses on the Indigenous peoples of Australia. Her books include The Beast Player and the multivolume Moribito series. She lives near Tokyo.Β  Her debut novel, Seirei no Ki, was published during graduate school. She is best known for the Moribito series, The Beast Player, The Deer King, and Kōkun. Her books have sold over 11.5 million copies, inspired multiple adaptations, and been widely translated. She received the Hans Christian Andersen Literature Award in 2014. Cathy Hirano is a translator of Japanese fiction for young adults. Born and raised in Canada, Hirano moved to Kyoto, Japan, in 1978 as an English teacher. She became a freelance translator in 1987, and is the translator for the English editions of Uehashi’s Moribito novels. Hirano currently resides in Shikoku, Japan.

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