Chisato Abe's 'Kogo no Midori' Nominated for the 2026 Kinokuniya Bookstore Novel Award!

The beautiful spirit fantasy 'Kogo no Midori' (The Empress's Green) by Chisato Abe, author of the 2.6 million-copy selling 'Yatagarasu' series, has been nominated for the 2026 Kinokuniya Bookstore Novel Award. From June 1st to 30th, a nominee fair will be held at 20 stores, and the title with the highest sales during this period will win the grand prize. Both the book title and author's name are embossed in gold! Naomi, a girl whose family was once burned by a dragon, is suddenly invited by Emperor Sirius, who rules the wind spirits, to 'try for the position of my favorite concubine.' Sirius's inner palace already has an empress and concubines, and a necklace called 'The Empress's Green,' featuring a green gem resembling the empress's eye color, always shines on his chest. As Naomi tries to uncover why she was chosen, she realizes that the inner palace holds a great secret. Who is a friend and who is an enemy? What is the inner palace hiding? And what is the true meaning of 'The Empress's Green'? A new dimension of storytelling is born.