Golden Kamuyis set in the early twentieth century, shortly after the Russo-Japanese War, in the rugged north of Hokkaido. The protagonist is Saichi Sugimoto, a hardened war veteran known as “Sugimoto the Immortal” for his will to survive and his fighting spirit. In order to fulfill a promise to the widow of his fallen comrade, Sugimoto sets out on a quest to find a legendary treasure: a vast amount of gold that once belonged to the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido.
The path to the gold is anything but easy. Its location is hidden in a bizarre puzzle: a map tattooed in sections on the skin of 24 escaped prisoners. To find the gold, Sugimoto must track down these dangerous men. During his search, he is saved by Asirpa, a young, clever Ainu hunter who has her own reasons for finding the gold. Together, they form an unlikely duo that takes on ruthless criminals, corrupt soldiers, and the brutal nature of Hokkaido.
What follows is a thrilling and sometimes raw survival journey filled with action, historical detail and black humor. As Sugimoto and Asirpa become increasingly entangled in the dangerous game for gold, themes of survival, loyalty, culture and morality take center stage. Their bond grows as they battle not only rivals, but also their own traumas and the unpredictable landscape.
