# Is "The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)" by Yukio Mishima a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji) by Yukio Mishima (Alfred A. Knopf, 1959) is identified by: First American edition, first printing, translated by Ivan Morris, with an introduction by Nancy Wilson Ross and drawings by Fumi Komatsu. The Knopf US edition of 1959 is the first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed the same year.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, first printing, translated by Ivan Morris, with an introduction by Nancy Wilson Ross and drawings by Fumi Komatsu
- Borzoi colophon present; copyright page carries the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement
- Bound in red cloth spine over grey paper boards; illustrated dust jacket priced on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Yukio Mishima |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1959 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, first printing, translated by Ivan Morris, with an introduction by Nancy Wilson Ross and drawings by Fumi Komatsu |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First American edition, first printing, translated by Ivan Morris, with an introduction by Nancy Wilson Ross and drawings by Fumi Komatsu. Borzoi colophon present; copyright page carries the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement. Bound in red cloth spine over grey paper boards; illustrated dust jacket priced on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Knopf US edition of 1959 is the first English-language edition; the UK Secker & Warburg edition followed the same year. The Japanese original dates to 1956. Confirm Knopf priority via the colophon and FIRST AMERICAN EDITION statement.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Vintage International and later paperbacks are reprints. A reprint will lack the Borzoi device and the FIRST AMERICAN EDITION line.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Temple of the Golden Pavilion (Kinkakuji)* by Yukio Mishima a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-temple-of-the-golden-pavilion-kinkakuji
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.