# Is "Japanese by Spring" by Ishmael Reed a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Japanese by Spring by Ishmael Reed (Atheneum, 1993) is identified by: First edition so stated with number line descending to 1; dust jacket priced. True first is the 1993 Atheneum (New York) hardcover.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition so stated with number line descending to 1; dust jacket priced
- Hardcover (ISBN 0689120729)
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ishmael Reed |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition so stated with number line descending to 1; dust jacket priced |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First edition so stated with number line descending to 1; dust jacket priced. Hardcover (ISBN 0689120729).

## Is this the true first?
True first is the 1993 Atheneum (New York) hardcover. The Penguin paperback is a later reprint.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None notable.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Japanese by Spring* by Ishmael Reed a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/japanese-by-spring
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.