The Master of Go
The Master of Go (Meijin) is a novel by Yasunari Kawabata, serialised from 1951 and published as a book by Bungei Shunjū Shinsha in Tokyo in 1954. It recasts the 1938 farewell match of the Go master Honinbo Shūsai; Edward Seidensticker's English translation followed from Knopf in 1972.
- Editions tracked
- 3
- First edition
- Bungei Shunju Shinsha, 1954
- First published
- Bungei Shunjū Shinsha, Tokyo, 1954
- First UK edition
- Secker & Warburg, 1973
The first edition of The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata was published in Tokyo by Bungei Shunju Shinsha in 1954. We track 3 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st Bungei Shunju Shinsha1954 Other I own The Master of Go, Bungei Shunju Shinsha 1954 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
- Knopf;distributed by Random House1972 Hardback I own The Master of Go, Knopf;distributed by Random House 1972 Log in to want this
- Secker & Warburg1973 Hardback I own The Master of Go, Secker & Warburg 1973 Log in to want this
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Setting and characters
- Set in
- Japan
- Genre
- historical fiction
In print
- Editions recorded
- 18 on Open Library, 13 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 15 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
More by Yasunari Kawabata
- The House of the Sleeping Beauties and Other Stories1933 · 2 editions
- Snow Country1937 · 3 editions
- Thousand Cranes1952 · 1 edition
- The Sound of the Mountain1954 · 3 editions
- House of the Sleeping Beauties1961 · 2 editions
- Beauty and Sadness1965 · 2 editions
- Palm-Of-The-Hand Stories1971 · 2 editions
- The Old Capital2006 · 1 edition
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How to Identify a First Edition
To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …
Read the guide →6 min readBook Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained
Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …
Read the guide →7 min readDust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value
For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …
Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of The Master of Go?
The first edition of The Master of Go by Yasunari Kawabata was published in Tokyo by Bungei Shunju Shinsha in 1954.
How many editions of The Master of Go are there?
We track 3 editions of The Master of Go, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Where these facts come from
- Yasunari Kawabata, Encyclopedia.com (encyclopedia.com)
- The Master of Go, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- The master of go, Open Library (openlibrary.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 28 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.