# Is "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" by Haruki Murakami a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf, 2006) is identified by: First American edition, Alfred A. First English of this story collection, which was assembled specifically for English-language publication.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin; hardcover stating First American Edition with a descending number line
- UK Harvill Secker edition also 2006
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Haruki Murakami |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, 2006, translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin; hardcover stating First American Edition with a descending number line. UK Harvill Secker edition also 2006.

## Is this the true first?
First English of this story collection, which was assembled specifically for English-language publication. Sources generally give the Knopf US hardcover as the first English printing, released late August 2006, with the Harvill Secker UK edition following the same year.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman* by Haruki Murakami a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blind-willow-sleeping-woman
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.