They trained her to be obedient. She trained herself for war.
In a crumbling empire where girls are expected to bow, Nakano dares to stand tall. Despite being raised in silence and poetry, she chooses the naginata over marriage and rebellion over obedience. When war comes to Aizu, she forms the Jōshitai, a corps of women warriors, and leads them into battle. Not for glory. Not for honor. But because no one else will.
Nakano Takeko: The Last Onna-Musha is for readers who believe sisterhood is a battle cry. This stunning graphic novel told by Takeko’s own descendant, Sumiko Nakano, reclaims the true story of Japan’s most legendary female warrior. A debut of rare intensity, this is a story of rage honed into resistance, grief carried like a weapon, and legacy born from love and fire.
October 2027 • Paperback • Full-Colour • 200 pages • 6” x 9” • 978-1-0694679-2-8
About the Author
Sumiko Nakano was born in Osaka, Japan. At four years old, she survived the car accident that took her parents—and her voice. Adopted and raised in the UK, she grew up navigating silence, memory, and a lineage rooted in defiance. A trained martial artist with a background in historical research, and editor at International Martial Arts Magazine, Sumiko brings both physical discipline and historical insight to her storytelling. She is a descendent of Nakano Takeko, the legendary onna-musha who defied expectations to fight for what she believed in. This is her first book for younger readers and a deeply personal tribute to the courage that runs in her blood.
About the Illustrator
Alpha Yu is a debut illustrator with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University, where he specialized in landscape art. A lifelong manga enthusiast, Alpha is drawn to introspective and inclusive storytelling, with a focus on creating meaningful work for young readers, particularly within Canada’s Asian community. He received an Honourable Mention for the John C. Kerr Chancellor Emeritus Awards for Excellence in Visual Arts for his self-published graphic novel A Canadian’s Guide to Making Manga. When he’s not drawing, Alpha enjoys long walks at sunset and building model robots—though not at the same time. His collaboration with Rebel Goose and writer Sumiko Nakano marks his first professionally published graphic novel.
They trained her to be obedient. She trained herself for war.
In a crumbling empire where girls are expected to bow, Nakano dares to stand tall. Despite being raised in silence and poetry, she chooses the naginata over marriage and rebellion over obedience. When war comes to Aizu, she forms the Jōshitai, a corps of women warriors, and leads them into battle. Not for glory. Not for honor. But because no one else will.
Nakano Takeko: The Last Onna-Musha is for readers who believe sisterhood is a battle cry. This stunning graphic novel told by Takeko’s own descendant, Sumiko Nakano, reclaims the true story of Japan’s most legendary female warrior. A debut of rare intensity, this is a story of rage honed into resistance, grief carried like a weapon, and legacy born from love and fire.
October 2027 • Paperback • Full-Colour • 200 pages • 6” x 9” • 978-1-0694679-2-8
About the Author
Sumiko Nakano was born in Osaka, Japan. At four years old, she survived the car accident that took her parents—and her voice. Adopted and raised in the UK, she grew up navigating silence, memory, and a lineage rooted in defiance. A trained martial artist with a background in historical research, and editor at International Martial Arts Magazine, Sumiko brings both physical discipline and historical insight to her storytelling. She is a descendent of Nakano Takeko, the legendary onna-musha who defied expectations to fight for what she believed in. This is her first book for younger readers and a deeply personal tribute to the courage that runs in her blood.
About the Illustrator
Alpha Yu is a debut illustrator with a BFA in Illustration from Emily Carr University, where he specialized in landscape art. A lifelong manga enthusiast, Alpha is drawn to introspective and inclusive storytelling, with a focus on creating meaningful work for young readers, particularly within Canada’s Asian community. He received an Honourable Mention for the John C. Kerr Chancellor Emeritus Awards for Excellence in Visual Arts for his self-published graphic novel A Canadian’s Guide to Making Manga. When he’s not drawing, Alpha enjoys long walks at sunset and building model robots—though not at the same time. His collaboration with Rebel Goose and writer Sumiko Nakano marks his first professionally published graphic novel.
