The points of issue
First American edition, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker. Borzoi colophon present; copyright page and title page dated 1957, with the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement. Thick octavo (roughly 530 pages), bound in black cloth with embossed red paper over boards and gold spine lettering. Dust jacket priced on the front flap.
Is this the true first?
The Knopf US edition of 1957 is the true first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1958. The Japanese original was serialized 1943-48 and issued in book form by 1948. Confirm Knopf priority via the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Perigee and Vintage paperbacks are reprints. A reprint will lack the Borzoi device and the dated FIRST AMERICAN EDITION line.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Makioka Sisters (Sasameyuki) a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First American edition, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker. Borzoi colophon present; copyright page and title page dated 1957, with the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement. Thick octavo (roughly 530 pages), bound in black cloth with embossed red paper over boards and gold spine lettering. Dust jacket priced on the front flap.
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 1957 is the true first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1958. The Japanese original was serialized 1943-48 and issued in book form by 1948. Confirm Knopf priority via the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later Perigee and Vintage paperbacks are reprints. A reprint will lack the Borzoi device and the dated FIRST AMERICAN EDITION line.
I have a first edition of The Makioka Sisters (Sasameyuki) — 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.