# Is "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" by Haruki Murakami a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami (Alfred A. Knopf, 2006) is identified by: First American edition, Alfred A. First English of this story collection, which was assembled specifically for English-language publication from stories originally written in Japanese.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006, translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin (subtitle: Twenty-four Stories)
- Octavo in original quarter/half cloth over boards, roughly 334 pages, with a dust jacket designed by Chip Kidd; the front flap should carry the original printed price
- First printing has the Knopf 'FIRST EDITION' / 'First American Edition' statement on the copyright page together with a descending number line reading 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (later printings drop low numbers, e.g. a second-printing line ending in 2)
- ISBN 1-4000-4461-8
- The UK Harvill Secker edition also appeared in 2006
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Haruki Murakami |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006, translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin (subtitle: Twenty-four Stories) |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First American edition, Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2006, translated by Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin (subtitle: Twenty-four Stories). Octavo in original quarter/half cloth over boards, roughly 334 pages, with a dust jacket designed by Chip Kidd; the front flap should carry the original printed price. First printing has the Knopf 'FIRST EDITION' / 'First American Edition' statement on the copyright page together with a descending number line reading 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 (later printings drop low numbers, e.g. a second-printing line ending in 2). ISBN 1-4000-4461-8. The UK Harvill Secker edition also appeared in 2006.

## Is this the true first?
First English of this story collection, which was assembled specifically for English-language publication from stories originally written in Japanese. The Knopf US hardcover is generally given as the first English printing, released August 29, 2006, with the Harvill Secker UK edition following the same year; the two are close in date, so precedence rests on the late-August US release.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman* by Haruki Murakami a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/blind-willow-sleeping-woman
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.