Standing on Jingu-michi, the Shifting Seasons and People's Thoughts. Four Fleetingly Beautiful Mysteries Beyond Local Mystery Genre. 'Jingu-michi Nishi-iru: Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries - Spring Haze Love' to be Released on April 20!

Micro Magazine, Inc. will release "Jingu-michi Nishi-iru: Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries - Spring Haze Love" (Author: Mitsuki Izumisaka / Illustrator: Kurono Kuro) from Kotonoha Bunko on April 20, 2026.

※Electronic book distribution will also begin on the same day.

The electronic version will include the cover illustration by Kurono Kuro as is at the end of the volume!

Furthermore, customers who purchase the "Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries" series at participating stores will receive a "Bookmark in the style of a scented letter" (1 type in total) as a gift!

Red and black goldfish, inspired by the story, are depicted on both sides.

It also has absorbency, so it can be enjoyed as a blotter for fragrance samples.

Jingu-michi Nishi-iru: Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries - Spring Haze Love

Novel: Mitsuki Izumisaka / Illustration: Kurono Kuro

ISBN: 9784867169452

Price: 803 yen (730 yen + 10% tax)

Release Date: April 20, 2026

https://kotonohabunko.jp/detail/ephemeral5/

○Synopsis

Higashiyama, Kyoto, where plum blossoms fall.

At a detective agency near Jingu-michi, Nara was, as usual, looking after the lazy detective Ichiya.

On the day of "Nagashi-bina" (floating dolls) at Shimogamo Shrine, a request came in from a former popular actor: to investigate a "mysterious letter" sent from his deceased mother.

Nara unravels the client's hazy memories, chases the illusion of cherry blossoms at night, and confronts feelings of love and family bonds.

Moved by her earnest feelings, Ichiya's heart also begins to waver.

What truth did the two, who find what they have lost, uncover in the spring light――.

Special Offer Information

Customers who purchase the "Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries" series at participating stores will receive a "Bookmark in the style of a scented letter" (1 type in total) as a gift!

Red and black goldfish, inspired by the story, are depicted on both sides.

It also has absorbency, so it can be enjoyed as a blotter for fragrance samples.

Please check the details from the URL below.

▼https://kotonohabunko.jp/spcont/2604_tokuten/

※Distribution status and period may vary depending on the store.

※Please inquire at the store regarding the availability of benefits.

◎Store-specific Benefits

Limited edition short story paper at Ogaki Bookstore / Ogaki Bookstore stores

※Some stores may not offer this benefit. Please check with each store for details.

※Benefits will end once supplies run out.

▼ https://kotonohabunko.jp/spcont/2604_tokuten/

◎Reviewer

The seasons have come full circle, and it's spring again. This time too, it was a reassuring story that solved a request while saving the client's heart.

Nara's feelings growing slowly, step by step, the catalyst for her involvement with Ichiya, and above all, episodes from a different perspective than usual.

This was a must-read for fans, depicting such subtle emotional changes.

◎Reviewer

Every book in this series makes me feel like I'm taking a stroll in Kyoto.

This work also features all my favorite places!

Genko-an, Matsunoo-taisha, etc., places I often visited when I lived in Kyoto,

so the scenery came to mind, and I felt like I was enjoying a stroll with them.

I also love all the sweets in this series.

When you're hungry after a stroll, sweets are essential, aren't they?

There are so many shops I'd queue for, so I want to go out with this book.

The preciousness of caring for others, the weight of life, and emotional wounds that are not easily healed.

Because Nara and Ichiya have such deep feelings at their core, I couldn't stop crying at the end.

I want to keep watching them forever, and I want to stroll through the streets of Kyoto with them while solving mysteries.

(From reviews posted on 'NetGalley')

Novel: Mitsuki Izumisaka

Resides in Kyoto Prefecture. Began publishing the novel "Jingu-michi to Ephemeral" on "Everystar" in 2019.

It was picked up in a rookie feature, leading to its publication as a book.

Her debut work, "Jingu-michi Nishi-iru: Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries," was reprinted immediately after its release.

In 2023, she was appointed as a support ambassador for the 2nd Kyoto Kita Short Story Literary Award.

Loves kimonos, waka poetry, and goldfish.

Illustration: Kurono Kuro

Illustrator. Active mainly in anime background work.

Major cover illustrations include "Kyouko Okitegami's Challenge" and "Kamisama no Goyounin."

---

Kotonoha Bunko is a literary label for adult women from Micro Magazine, Inc., which celebrated its 6th anniversary in 2025.

We publish various works that resonate with your heart, such as the "Our Home is a Rental Bookstore in the Otherworld" series, which has surpassed a cumulative total of 70,000 copies, the explosively popular yokai story "The Policeman and the Maneki-Neko" series, and "Beyond Goodbye," which was adapted into a TV drama.

Kotonoha Bunko Official Website: https://kotonohabunko.jp/

X (formerly Twitter):

FAQ

When is the latest volume released?

'Jingu-michi Nishi-iru: Ephemeral Kyoto Mysteries - Spring Haze Love' will be released on April 20, 2026. The e-book version will also be available on the same day.

Are there any purchase benefits?

Customers who purchase the series at participating stores will receive a 'Bookmark in the style of a scented letter'. Ogaki Bookstore also offers a limited short story paper.

What kind of story is this series?

It's a mystery set in Kyoto, where Nara and Ichiya of a detective agency solve mysteries amidst the changing seasons, empathizing with people's hearts.

Back to Newsroom (313)