, shortened to Kino's Journey, is a Japanese light novel series written by Keiichi Sigsawa, with illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The series follows a traveler named Kino and her talking motorcycle named Hermes, as they explore countries with unique customs and people around a mysterious world, only spending three days at each location. The series originally started serialization in volume five of MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp on March 17, 2000. The first volume of the series was published on July 10, 2000, by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko publishing imprint. As of September 2025, 24 volumes have been published.
A 13-episode anime adaptation produced by A.C.G.T and Genco aired between April and July 2003 on WOWOW in Japan. Two visual novels for the PlayStation 2 were released by ASCII Media Works, the first in July 2003, and the second in December 2005. There have also been two 30-minute animated films produced, the first in February 2005, and the second in April 2007. A Kino's Journey light novel was only released as a promotional gift for the second animated movie. Additional merchandise includes three art books, three picture books, and a drama CD. Two manga adaptations were produced, and a new anime series aired 12 episodes from October to December 2017. A spin-off light novel series titled began with the first volume published on July 10, 2006, by ASCII Media Works; seven volumes have been released as of May 2021.
Plot In Kino's Journey, the protagonist, Kino, accompanied by a talking motorcycle named Hermes, travels through a mystical world of many different countries and forests, each unique in its customs and people. She only spends three days and two nights in every town, without exception, on the principle that three days is enough time to learn almost everything important about a place, while leaving time to explore new lands. Kino says in The Land of Visible Pain that this principle is probably a lie, specifically noting "if I stay any longer, I'm afraid I will settle down." The recurring theme of the anime and novels is described by the phrase, "The world is not beautiful, therefore it is." Kino's Journey explores what the anime director Ryūtarō Nakamura described as "a radical sense of 'beauty and brutality, loneliness, nonsense, oppression and tragedy are often juxtaposed against compassion and a fairy-tale atmosphere.
For protection and hunting, Kino carries a .44 single-action revolver (called "the Cannon", based on a Colt Walker) that uses liquid explosives in place of gunpowder and a .22 automatic pistol (named "the Woodsman", based on a Colt Woodsman). Later in Kino's adventures in the novels, Kino also uses a pump-action shotgun (based on a Winchester M1897) and a semi-automatic sniper rifle (called "the Flute", based on an M14 rifle), along with a variety of other tools, including knives. In the anime, Kino is shown to carry no fewer than five knives, including one which can fire .22 bullets from its hilt. Kino is an unusually quick draw and practices every day before dawn.
Technology in this world exists, sometimes to the level of science fiction, although anachronisms are common (for example, the same land that has talking robots also appears to have phonographs, yet simultaneously the world has only begun to develop heavier-than-air flight). The level of technology also varies from country to country. The world is not heavily magical (the only "magical" elements include land that moves, talking vehicles, and a talking dog), although it has a certain fairy-tale quality.
Characters
Kino is the main protagonist in the series and travels to different countries with her talking motorcycle Hermes, discovering their cultures and people. In the anime, Kino's sex is ambiguous in the beginning, but is confirmed to be female in the fourth episode, when she first meets Hermes and adopts the name "Kino" from another traveler. Throughout the series, Kino typically avoids discussing her gender and does not treat it as central to her identity, responding to questions about it with indifference or deflection. Kino is skilled in combat, carrying both guns and knives, and is accustomed to life as a traveler. To those she meets, she is invariably polite and answers questions directly.
Hermes is a talking Brough Superior motorcycle and is Kino's loyal companion; although it can be reluctant sometimes, it faithfully accompanies Kino in her travels. The relationship between Kino and Hermes is presented as symbiotic—as explained in the Land of Adults where Hermes provides speed, and Kino provides balance. In the first couple of episodes of the anime and almost all of the chapters in the novels, it has a tendency to mispronounce words and phrases. Its name is a reference to the Greek god Hermes. Although its name is spelled "Hermes", in the third book it is emphasized that the "H" in its name is silent.
Not much is known about the original Kino, only that he is a young man with glasses and a calm demeanor who traveled by the same three-day rule that the main character Kino does. He arrived to the Land of Adults and was most likely the reason why the main character goes on her journey after he dies protecting her from the customs of her country. She often makes statements similar to the original Kino's and even quotes him on occasion. In the novels, the original Kino explains that he makes a living selling medicinal herbs and unusual items he finds while traveling.
Shizu is a young man with a great talent for swordsmanship. He travels in a dune buggy with Riku, his talking dog companion. He appears in multiple stories just about him, Riku and Ti in the novels. Riku narrates all but one of these stories. Later in the novels, Kino and Hermes meet up with Shizu and Riku again, but Kino seems to remember only Riku's name.
Riku is a talking dog of the Samoyed breed who travels with Shizu. He is large, white, and his face seems to be always smiling. Apparently, in the anime, Riku has only spoken to Hermes, as Kino does not believe Riku can speak when told about the discussion Hermes had with him. In the original anime version, Riku also speaks to Shizu, but in the English version, only barks or whimpers to him in these instances. In the novels, Riku speaks to both Kino and Hermes. In the 2017 anime, he speaks to both Kino and Hermes, much to the surprise of the latter.
Ti, also known as Tifana, is a 12-year-old child Shizu befriends in the Ship Country. When Shizu decides to leave, she refuses to separate from him and decides to kill herself along with him. After being stopped by Kino, Ti is taken in by Shizu, traveling with him and Riku since then. Ti's weapon of choice is grenades, and she carries a bag containing a number of them for self-defense.
Sakura is a girl from the country Kino visited in the last episode of the first anime series. She shares many similarities to Kino, such as her parents also owning an inn. In the English version of the first anime series, her name is changed to Lily in order to preserve the explanation that her name, pronounced slightly differently, becomes an insult. The children call her "Silly Willy" instead of and in this version.
Shishou is Kino's master who taught her marksmanship. She lives in the forest and does not travel. Her actual name is unknown; "Shishou" is a title meaning "mentor" or "master" (although Kino does not realize this at first). In the final episode of the first anime series, which chronologically takes place before most other episodes, the gunsmith who repaired Kino's Cannon recognized it and told Kino that he once knew a young woman who insisted everyone call her "Shishou". She traveled between countries and stirred up trouble wherever she went. In the novels, multiple stories are devoted to her travels alongside a man referred to as her "student", when she was in her late twenties. She and her student are shown as being incredibly greedy, even to the point of being cruel. They travel in a battered yellow car resembling a Subaru 360.
Media
Light novels
Kino's Journey began as a series of light novels written by Keiichi Sigsawa, and illustrated by Kouhaku Kuroboshi. The series originally started serialization in MediaWorks' now-defunct light novel magazine Dengeki hp with the release of volume six on March 17, 2000. The first volume of the series was published on July 10, 2000, by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko publishing imprint. As of November 2020, 23 volumes have been published. The eighth volume of Kino's Journey, originally published in October 2004, was Dengeki Bunkos 1000th published novel. An additional volume entitled was only released as a promotional gift for the second animated movie. A collection of special chapters entitled came with the first volume of ASCII Media Works' light novel magazine Dengeki Bunko Magazine on April 10, 2008.
In commemoration of Dengeki Bunko's 20th anniversary, Kino's Journey was serialized weekly from April to September 2013 in several Japanese regional newspapers. The ten stories serialized during this period were included in the 17th volume published in October of the same year. The previous 16 volumes were released with new cover artwork also in commemoration of the anniversary.
The light novel series has also been translated into Chinese, Korean, and German. Tokyopop licensed the novels under the original title Kino no Tabi for release in North America, and the first volume was published on October 3, 2006. The chapter order of Tokyopop's English release of the first volume differed from the original Japanese release. According to Tokyopop representatives, there are issues with the licensor that have left them unable to release further volumes of the series. Tokyopop used an image from the sixth chapter-title page from the original novel for use as the English novel cover. In May 2021, Tokyopop confirmed its license for the series had expired.
The first volume of a spin-off of the regular series titled Gakuen Kino was published on July 10, 2006, under Dengeki Bunko; as of May 2021, seven volumes have been released. The series is a collection of parodies originally published in three spin-off magazines of Dengeki hp: Dengeki p, Dengeki h, and Dengeki hpa. The spin-off features Kino as a magical girl in a school setting. Gakuen Kino was translated into Chinese and Korean.
Art books and manga A 96-page art book containing illustrations by Kouhaku Kuroboshi was released by ASCII Media Works in March 2003. The book contained illustrations from Kino's Journey and the Allison series of light novels, which is created by the same people as Kino's Journey. Also included in the art book are original illustrations never released in the novel volumes, and an original Kino's Journey short story by Keiichi Sigsawa. Two more artbooks from Kouhaku Kuroboshi were released in commemoration of the novel series' 15th anniversary. These artbooks include illustrations from Kino's Journey up to the 18th volume, Gakuen Kino, all of the Allison light novels, and other novels by Keiichi Sigsawa, as well as artwork by Kouhaku Kuroboshi as Takeshi Iizuka.