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Orphaned at a young age, Alice has lived with her aunt for most of her childhood. But her uncle is abusive and resentful, and at fifteen years old, Alice decides to return home to Kyoto and train as a maiko, eventually hoping to become a geisha.

But when she arrives back to the city where she was born, she finds that Kyoto has changed quite a bit in the eight years since she left it. Almost as if it's a completely different world...

 

Alice is certainly not in her world anymore. This version of Kyoto is magical and confusing — and Alice can't seem to find her childhood first love, Ren, the person she believes summoned her to this Kyoto in the first place. Strangely enough, the Imperial Crown Prince looks startlingly like Ren... but if he summoned her here, why doesn't he recognize her? 

On top of all that, Alice realizes she must discover her heart's true calling in order to remain in Kyoto Forest. If she doesn't find a purpose, she'll rapidly grow old and eventually disappear altogether! Stories and fairy tales have always gotten her through the sadness of her rootless life back at her aunt's house. Perhaps it's time to rely on them once again, here in magical Kyoto Forest. 

It was March 11, 2011 when a massive earthquake triggered a devastating tsunami, which, in turn, destroyed the core three reactors of the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan.  This tragedy cost almost 20,000 lives and devastated countless more, including Naoto Matsumura, a farmer evacuated from the deadly radiation zone.

Unwilling to abandon his beloved animals, Naoto chooses to return home to his farm — and to fight for the beauty of life.  This important graphic novel from France alludes to Japanese legends as an ode to Mother Nature, and human resilience.

This emotional title features a foreword by Tokyo-based writer, journalist, scholar and authority on Japanese and Western cultures Roland Kelts, photos from renowned photographer Ko Sasaki, a retrospective from Pray for Japan director Stu Levy, and educational bonus material about the tsunami and its aftermath.

"Blain’s evocative illustrations, rendered using flat, vibrant colors and delivered via easy-to-follow panels, and paired with Grolleau’s quietly profound dialogue, elegantly portrays wrenching events in Japan’s history." — Publishers Weekly

"[Guardian of Fukushima] is as powerful a read as it is a harrowing one when taking into account what transpired. Yet, presenting the story with sincerity under gorgeous art direction, and with additional content that lets the reader see beyond the story of Matsumura, the book is an unforgettable story that readers should seek out." — Adam Symchuk, Asian Movie Pulse

"Contemplative and heartbreaking, Guardian of Fukushima is a portrait of European and Japanese humanism." — Bleeding Cool

"Bravo to Grolleau and Blain for skillfully elevating an already profound story. I would recommend Guardian of Fukushima to anyone." — Comics Beat