The Twelve Kingdoms (Japanese: 十二国記 Hepburn: Jūni Kokuki, also known as "Record of 12 Countries" or "Jūni Kokki," a common alternate reading) is a Japanese series of light novels written by Fuyumi Ono and illustrated by Akihiro Yamada. The first entry in the series called "The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow" was published by Kodansha in Japan in 1992; the last Kodansha volume was released in 2001. In 2012 the series was resumed under the Shinchō Bunko line from Shinchosha. Shinchosha has also begun reprinting the older volumes with new cover and interior art from Akihiro Yamada.