# Is "The Makioka Sisters (Sasameyuki)" by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Makioka Sisters (Sasameyuki) by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki (Alfred A. Knopf, 1957) is identified by: First American edition, translated by Edward G. The Knopf US edition of 1957 is the true first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1958.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- 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
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jun'ichiro Tanizaki |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1957 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, translated by Edward G. Seidensticker |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Makioka Sisters (Sasameyuki)* by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-makioka-sisters-sasameyuki
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.