The points of issue
First US and first English-language edition, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker. Borzoi (Knopf) imprint with 'FIRST AMERICAN EDITION' stated on the copyright page and Borzoi colophon. Octavo, roughly xvii plus 202 pages, with a title-page vignette and chapter head-pieces; issued in pictorial paper-covered boards with a black-printed spine in a pictorial dust jacket.
Is this the true first?
The Knopf US edition of 1955 is the first edition in English; the UK edition (Secker & Warburg, London) followed in 1956 using the same Seidensticker translation. The Japanese original was serialized 1928 to 1929.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Berkley and Vintage International paperbacks are reprints. Confirm the true first by the 'FIRST AMERICAN EDITION' line and Borzoi colophon.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Some Prefer Nettles (Tade Kuu Mushi) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First US and first English-language edition, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker. Borzoi (Knopf) imprint with 'FIRST AMERICAN EDITION' stated on the copyright page and Borzoi colophon. Octavo, roughly xvii plus 202 pages, with a title-page vignette and chapter head-pieces; issued in pictorial paper-covered boards with a black-printed spine in a pictorial dust jacket.
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 Knopf US edition of 1955 is the first edition in English; the UK edition (Secker & Warburg, London) followed in 1956 using the same Seidensticker translation. The Japanese original was serialized 1928 to 1929.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Berkley and Vintage International paperbacks are reprints. Confirm the true first by the 'FIRST AMERICAN EDITION' line and Borzoi colophon.
I have a first edition of Some Prefer Nettles (Tade Kuu Mushi) — 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.