The points of issue
Japanese first edition in book form, Sōgensha, Tokyo, June 1937, collecting the work that had been serialized across literary journals from 1935 to 1937 (with Kawabata revising the journal texts for this 'complete' 1937 book). Identified by the 1937 colophon and original obi/slipcase where present.
Is this the true first?
The Japanese Sōgensha 1937 book is the true first in book form; Kawabata continued revising, with the definitive 'complete' text appearing from Sōgensha in 1948. The first English (Knopf, 1956, translated by Edward Seidensticker) is the English-language first thus and the version most often collected in the West.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Because Kawabata revised repeatedly, 'first edition' is complicated: the 1937 first book and the 1948 'complete' version are different textual states. The Seidensticker English translation (Knopf 1956) is not the world-first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Snow Country (Yukiguni) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Japanese first edition in book form, Sōgensha, Tokyo, June 1937, collecting the work that had been serialized across literary journals from 1935 to 1937 (with Kawabata revising the journal texts for this 'complete' 1937 book). Identified by the 1937 colophon and original obi/slipcase where present.
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 Japanese Sōgensha 1937 book is the true first in book form; Kawabata continued revising, with the definitive 'complete' text appearing from Sōgensha in 1948. The first English (Knopf, 1956, translated by Edward Seidensticker) is the English-language first thus and the version most often collecte
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Because Kawabata revised repeatedly, 'first edition' is complicated: the 1937 first book and the 1948 'complete' version are different textual states. The Seidensticker English translation (Knopf 1956) is not the world-first.
I have a first edition of Snow Country (Yukiguni) — 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.