Make Japan (or Japanese culture) an element of your story.

Posted in Narrative on Mar 24, 2023

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✍️ 39 stories

“Cherry Blossom On A Hill of Restless Hearts” by Dylan Patrick

It was like I was trapped in a moment. Though she was warm against me, I felt like I was frozen in carbonite. Putting two things next two each other often highlights each others' personality traits, which explained why the beauty of Mount Pleasant High bloomed so brilliantly next to the Aaron Christopher, the reserved wallflower (aka me). She felt like a marshmallow with flesh, but somehow also felt like an anchor on my arm. It was like not wanting to move because a dog was sitting on my lap and I didn’t want to disturb the moment at perf...

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“FIVE POUNDS OF FOOD” by BRUCE MARTIN

The Big Texan is a ranch and restaurant in Amarillo, Texas. It was founded in 1960 on Route 66, serving the finest Texas barbecue, but moved to its current location just off Route 40 in Amarillo in April, 1971. The owner originated the 72-ounce Steak Challenge, and when the new facility opened, the Challenge became famous. It...

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“The Mountain Guardian” by Philippa Hibberd

When Sota asked Hisa to venture into the forest with him, she didn’t dare refuse.Snow crunched under her shuffling steps. The cold stiffened her joints through the thin cotton of her kimono. Still, she trudged up the slope after Sota, for if she slowed down, who knew what he’d do. The person she feared most, more than the yokai rumoured to live in these mountains, was her own son.At least this meant, for the time being, he wouldn’t hurt Megumi. She pictured her granddaughter in the hut, alone, taking ca...

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“Haikus and the Shiba Inu Adventure” by Indy Walen

This adventure hereIs told in Haiku poems Our story begins…The mountains sat quietInside the temple, he satThe Shiba InuBreathe in and breathe out It was meditation hourIt had been since dawnNash was his real name He was a trained and skilled dogHis master was Kai“Meditation done”“Time now to follow the b...

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“Blossoms” by Tanya Humphreys

I eyed the grain of rice suspiciously. It smelled old and moldy, but I didn’t care, I was a rat after all and the greenish hued grain would make a chewy snack…I didn’t need the grain, I found plenty of things to eat. I was intrigued by the man who’d been brought to this place the day before. The man had placed the grain on the old fruit crate that served as the man’s table, one of four items of f...

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“Smoke and Lukewarm Coffee” by Maru Nora

The smell of smoke woke me. I stared at the ceiling, my legs moving through the rough sheets. The light of the spring day filtered through the balcony doors, catching the dust floating around the room. The breeze drifted through, once again carrying with it the scent of smoke and the smell of the morning air. They fought for dominance of my senses before I remembered last night. I pushed ...

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“It's Okay” by Fhionna Mac

He listens to the door slam. You were only an amusement, fun for a while. He won’t miss you. He detangles his auburn hair with the comb you gave him. The handle’s bumpy where the plastic’s been moulded to resemble elephants because you thought he’d like to go on a safari holiday. Something completely different. He’s rocking-it-out to ‘Ain’t Life a Bitch,’ standing in the shower, using the last of your shower gel, punching the air with a wet fist, expecting you’ll be there soon to wash his back, and other places. He thin...

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“Imo (potatoes)” by Susie Helme

The rice crop failed that autumn for the third year running, the wailing of the starving peasants penetrated deep into the daimyō’s (lord’s) castle. At the gate Sumitada and his father sat upon their horses surveying the rotting fields of Saitama Province. Orphaned children clustered at their stirrups daring touches upon their greaves to beg for coins. Bodies of dead peasants, their parents perhaps, half ...

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“Ame no Nuhoko” by Christopher Reifsteck

“Greetings friend! Sorry, but traveling East is foreordained with ill omens today. Best to wait until tomorrow, right?”The peasant slowed to a stop in the dusty dirt road. Wearing a patchy, worn tunic and a patchy, worn headband, he surveyed the man barring his path. As the bright white robes and tall black kanmuri hat, seeped into recognition, the peasant’s eye widened in panic before he plunged to the ground in a deep bow.“Th-thank you sir! I am deeply sorry for not showing you the proper respect at once!”

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“Haro's Crush” by Hope Linter

I have taken some artistic license with names and other aspects of the Japanese culture. The Ryōan-ji Temple with it’s famous Zen garden does exist in Kyoto. Eighteen-year-old Hiro Ito contemplated the perfectly raked white gravel in the karesansui or dry landscape of the famous Ryōan-ji Zen garden in his hometown of Kyoto. Wooden floor boards embued with the earthy scent of generations and smo...

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“Camp Us” by Andrew Fruchtman

When our daughter was born, we still hadn’t decided on a name. A name is a very important thing. stirring connotations of other liked named people, for good or for worse. We had been debating for months, making lists, and searching the internet, everything except asking friends and family. That rarely goes well. We thought we’d wait till she arrived and were quite sure, upon looking into her face, a name would be communi...

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“The Traitor Emperor” by Nitya Nair

It’s almost time. I will finally have my revenge. Akimitsu promised himself. He would kill the Emperor if it was the last thing he did. When the clock struck twelve, he would finally avenge his whole family. Tying his long black hair up with a piece of leather, Akimi prepared himself to go see the king. Every day, without fail, a different servant was to bring him tea in his chambers a...

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“The Beauty of Sakura” by Robert Radcliff

The petals surround me. Falling from the sky in tickertape fashion. Pink, pale rose and white, mystic and mysterious.Strange but compelling and unforgettable.Cherry blossoms symbolize the ephemeral nature of life. Their loveliness although tinged with volatility represent mortality and destiny.An empathy towards things and the reality of life, yet at the same time it signifies hope, renewal and positive thought.The cherry blossom leaves swirl around and lift my existence as I fl...

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“Tokyo rain” by Shelby Bingham

Kai Sato's life was in shambles. His girlfriend... well, ex-girlfriend now had just kicked him to the curb, all because she thought he was having an affair with a co-worker, when he was, in fact, not at all. Kai hated that co-worker if he was being completely honest. His mom was in the hospital with stage four lung cancer, and he could lose his job at the hardware shop at any moment."Get out! Get out, get out, get out!" She screamed so loud all of Japan probably heard and then grabbed him by the shoulders and attempted to push him ...

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“Looking for Excitement ” by Avril Armstrong

Looking for Excitement? 1471 words ex. title Haruto stepped out of the elevator feigning a confidence he didn't feel. Nine young men wearing masks stood in line. As he watched, one of them swayed and fainted to the floor. An older man, wearing a striped, wide-belted, kimono, jerked his head, indicating for Haruto to join the line up, then ...

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Make Japan (or Japanese culture) an element of your story.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 39 stories

“Cherry Blossom On A Hill of Restless Hearts” by Dylan Patrick

“FIVE POUNDS OF FOOD” by BRUCE MARTIN

“The Mountain Guardian” by Philippa Hibberd

“Haikus and the Shiba Inu Adventure” by Indy Walen

“Blossoms” by Tanya Humphreys

“Smoke and Lukewarm Coffee” by Maru Nora

“It's Okay” by Fhionna Mac

“Imo (potatoes)” by Susie Helme

“Ame no Nuhoko” by Christopher Reifsteck

“Haro's Crush” by Hope Linter

“Camp Us” by Andrew Fruchtman

“The Traitor Emperor” by Nitya Nair

“The Beauty of Sakura” by Robert Radcliff

“Tokyo rain” by Shelby Bingham

“Looking for Excitement ” by Avril Armstrong

🌟 Similar prompts

Start your story with your character(s) going to buy some flowers.

Write about a character who is starting to open up to life again.

Write a story about a character who’s late to witness a special event.

Write a story that includes someone saying, “I feel alive.”

Contest #191

Enter our weekly contest!

$250

Prize money

286

Contest entries

171

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Tired of MS Word?

Explore more writing prompt ideas: