Truman Capote — In Cold Blood / 冷血 Shinchōsha 1967 First Japanese Edition First Printing

Truman Capote — In Cold Blood / 冷血, 新潮社 (Shinchōsha), Tokyo, 1967 (Showa 42). True First Japanese Edition, First Printing.

Published on April 25, 1967 — just one year after the American first edition — this is the true first Japanese printing of Truman Capote's landmark work of literary nonfiction. Translated by Naotaro Tatsuguchi (龍口直太郎), the same distinguished translator who rendered Faulkner's Sanctuary into Japanese, and published by Shinchōsha — Japan's most prestigious literary publisher — this edition arrived in Japan at the height of the book's global sensation.

In Cold Blood redefined what literature could be: a true account of the 1959 murder of the Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas, reconstructed with the precision of a novel and the moral weight of a tragedy. Capote spent six years reporting and writing it. The result became one of the most influential books of the twentieth century and invented the genre now known as New Journalism.

This copy is complete with its original Obi (belly band) bearing the arresting declaration — "ここに描かれていることは全て冷厳な事実である！" (Everything described here is cold, hard fact!) — and the rare photographic insert depicting the Clutter family and their killers, Dick Hickock and Perry Smith. The author photograph of Capote is present. 

WHY THIS VOLUME IS A PRIZED COLLECTOR'S ITEM

1. 歴史的・文学的価値 — The true first Japanese printing of one of the most important books of the 20th century. Published by Shinchōsha within a year of the American first edition. A primary document of postwar Japanese literary culture and the global reception of New Journalism.
2. ビジュアル・芸術的価値 — The iconic cover design featuring the two killers' eyes in a gold-framed photograph against a dark ground is one of the most recognizable book covers in Japanese publishing history. The Clutter family photographic insert adds documentary power.
3. 帯・インサートの希少価値 — Complete with original Obi, photographic insert, author photograph — rarely found together in this condition after nearly 60 years.

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

• Author: Truman Capote
• Title: In Cold Blood / 冷血
• Translator: Naotaro Tatsuguchi (龍口直太郎)
• Publisher: 新潮社 (Shinchōsha), Tokyo
• Year Published: 1967 (Showa 42), April 25 — True First Japanese Edition, First Printing
• Language: Japanese
• Format: Hardcover, 386 pages, 19.5 × 13 cm
• Inclusions: Original Obi (belly band), photographic insert (Clutter family & killers), author photograph.

CONDITION: Good — Exceptional Survival for a Nearly 60-Year-Old First Printing

• Obi & Covers: Structurally intact. The Obi retains its striking graphic impact. Age-appropriate wear consistent with nearly 60 years.
• Binding: Tight, secure, and fully intact.
• Interior & Pages: Paper-stock tanning throughout — inherent to the paper quality of the era and consistent with age. No foxing beyond natural toning, no writing, no tears. All inserts present and intact.
• Please carefully inspect all high-resolution listing photographs to verify condition before purchasing.

NOTE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS: EASY AI TRANSLATION
While the text is printed in Japanese, you can easily read and study this historic book using modern smartphone AI tools. Google Lens, ChatGPT, or Google Translate will instantly translate any page. Language is no longer a barrier to owning this rare piece of literary history.