# Is "The Sound of Waves (Shiosai)" by Yukio Mishima a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sound of Waves (Shiosai) by Yukio Mishima (Alfred A. Knopf, 1956) is identified by: First American edition, first printing, translated by Meredith Weatherby, with drawings by Yoshinori Kinoshita. The Knopf US edition of 1956 is the true first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1957.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, first printing, translated by Meredith Weatherby, with drawings by Yoshinori Kinoshita
- Borzoi colophon present; copyright page carries the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement
- Bound in decorative papered boards
- Pictorial dust jacket (jacket painting by Jose de Almeida)
- This was the first of Mishima's books translated and published in the United States
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Yukio Mishima |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1956 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, first printing, translated by Meredith Weatherby, with drawings by Yoshinori Kinoshita |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First American edition, first printing, translated by Meredith Weatherby, with drawings by Yoshinori Kinoshita. Borzoi colophon present; copyright page carries the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement. Bound in decorative papered boards. Pictorial dust jacket (jacket painting by Jose de Almeida). This was the first of Mishima's books translated and published in the United States.

## Is this the true first?
The Knopf US edition of 1956 is the true first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed in 1957. The Japanese original dates to 1954. Confirm Knopf priority via the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later Berkley and Vintage paperbacks are reprints. A later printing will be marked accordingly; the true first carries the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement and Borzoi device.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sound of Waves (Shiosai)* by Yukio Mishima a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sound-of-waves-shiosai
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.