The points of issue
The first appearance in English is the Kodansha English Library pocket edition translated by Alfred Birnbaum, 1989, a Japan-only edition produced for Japanese students of English. It preserves the two-volume division of the original, with a red first volume and a green second volume in small softcover format, and includes an appendix of Japanese text for key English phrases. The canonical trade first edition is the separate Jay Rubin translation published by The Harvill Press (London) and Vintage (US) in 2000.
Is this the true first?
The true first English appearance is the 1989 Kodansha English Library Birnbaum pocket set (scarce, sold only in Japan). The Rubin translation, Harvill UK 2000, is the canonical trade first edition (first thus). The Japanese original was published in 1987.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Vintage US 2000 edition and all later paperbacks are reprints or first-thus issues. Distinguish the Birnbaum 1989 two-volume pocket set (true first in English) from the standard Rubin translation that most readers know.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Norwegian Wood (Noruwei no Mori) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: The first appearance in English is the Kodansha English Library pocket edition translated by Alfred Birnbaum, 1989, a Japan-only edition produced for Japanese students of English. It preserves the two-volume division of the original, with a red first volume and a green second volume in small softcover format, and includes an appendix of Japanese text for key English phrases. The canonical trade first edition is the separate Jay Rubin translation published by The Harvill Press (London) and Vintage (US) in 2000.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The true first English appearance is the 1989 Kodansha English Library Birnbaum pocket set (scarce, sold only in Japan). The Rubin translation, Harvill UK 2000, is the canonical trade first edition (first thus). The Japanese original was published in 1987.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
The Vintage US 2000 edition and all later paperbacks are reprints or first-thus issues. Distinguish the Birnbaum 1989 two-volume pocket set (true first in English) from the standard Rubin translation that most readers know.
I have a first edition of Norwegian Wood (Noruwei no Mori) — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.