The official Twitter handle for light novel publisher Kadokawa Bunko unveiled a cover illustration for Makoto Shinkai’s Suzume No Tojimari novel on July 29, 2022.

Suzume No Tojimari is Shinkai’s third novel and is based on his upcoming movie of the same name.

Suzume No Tojimari novel, priced 748 yen, is now available for pre-ordering online on Amazon and Rakuten, as well as bookstores in Japan. A special bookmark will be included as an initial limited edition bonus.

Kadokawa also revealed information regarding the special offers available for the novel at various bookstores in Japan. The benefits, such as bookmarks, postcards, illustration cards, will vary in regards to the bookstores.

Head over to Kadokawa’s official website for a detailed list of bookstores and their benefits.

Suzume No Tojimari novel is scheduled to release on Aug 24, 2022, ahead of its theatrical release on Nov 11, 2022.

He also posted an update with a sneak peek into the novel on May 17, commenting, “The novel ‘Suzume no Tojima’ is the third novel I will write while thinking that I can’t write a novel. Moreover, I almost cried just to complete the movie. Well, even though, it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done, I’m really happy to write about it”.

The currently announced staff members for the Makoto Shinkai movie include:

• Character design: Masayoshi Tanaka
• Animation director: Kenichi Tsuchiya
• Art director: Takumi Tanji
• Studio: CoMix Wave Film
• Production producer: STORY inc.
• Distribution: Toho Animation

The voice actor for the role of Suzume is currently undecided, and no auditions have been held yet.

Shinkai is directing and writing the screenplay for the film. He’s also the author of the original story. The characters are designed by Masayoshi Tanaka. The animation director is Kenichi Tsuchiya. The art director is Takumi Tanji. The film is produced by CoMix Wave Films and Story Inc. The film will be distributed by TOHO.

Shinkai tweeted about the announcement, commenting that  Suzume no Tojimari is a “modern adventure story” with action elements of Suzume traveling across Japan. He said that “It should be a fun movie.”

The officially announced story of Suzume no Tojimari is described as:

Suzume is a 17-year-old, who lives in a quiet town in Kyushu. One day, she meets a traveling young man who is looking for a “door.” Suzume decides to follow him and discovers an old door in the ruins in the mountains. As if drawn by something, Suzume reaches out for the door… What follows is Suzume’s liberation and growth as she closes the “doors” that cause misfortune in abandoned places around Japan.

Source: Twitter, Kadokawa’s Official Website