The book
A sweeping ecological fantasy from one of Japan’s most beloved storytellers—where two girls must unlock a forgotten power to save their world from collapse.
The vast Umar Empire has flourished for centuries thanks to the miraculous Ohaleh rice, a sacred grain brought by the first Empress Kokun from a distant land. Resistant to all parasites, the rice has sustained peace and prosperity—until now. When a mysterious infestation strikes, famine spreads, and the empire begins to crumble.
Fifteen-year-old Aisha, granddaughter of the deposed king of the West Kantar domain, flees to the imperial capital with her younger brother after a violent coup. There, she meets the reigning Kokun, Olie—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, they must confront a hidden history, uncover the truth behind the Ohaleh rice, and confront forces that threaten not just the empire’s survival, but the very balance of nature.
Kokun: Volume 1 marks the beginning of an epic tale of rebellion, inheritance, and the fight to reconnect with a world on the brink of collapse.
The author
Nahoko Uehashi
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, Japan.