The story takes place in ancient Japan and, similar to Coppélia, centers around the (successful) efforts of the eponymous puppet-maker to bring a female creation to life.

[1] Having outlined his plan for the new commission while staying in Houilles, Madetoja more or less composed the Third Symphony and Okon Fuoko simultaneously, although the pressure to complete the former was so great that he was compelled to place the ballet-pantomime aside until December 1926.

[3] The production languished unperformed until it (finally) received its premiere on 12 February 1930, not in Copenhagen but rather in Helsinki, at the Finnish National Opera under the baton of Martti Similä [fi].

In his review of Volmer’s recording of the complete ballet-pantomime, Fanfare’s Phillip Scott notes that in the score the typically-nationalistic Madetoja "[resists] any temptation to whip up excitement," instead utilizing an orchestra "pared back to the barest essentials" and embracing a sound world that is "cool", "stark", and "emotionally detached".

Nevertheless, Scott finds that Okon Fuoko "weaves a powerful, cumulative spell", its "beguiling … gentle, pentatonic melodies" aided by Volmer’s "thoughtful … beautifully recorded" performance, and finishes by giving the disc a favorable recommendation.

Indeed, with music that is "by turns rapturous, pungent, and tragic," Sullivan concludes that a listener could be forgiven for wondering how on earth Okon Fuoko has been neglected for so long.