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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of east asian short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

410+ East asian Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Discover the best new stories by East Asian authors.

East asian Short Stories – Page 3 of 28

Chapters 45-47 of "Sengoku"

Submitted to Contest #267

These are chapters 46 and 47 of the book I am writing titled "Sengoku". This is based off real warlords from Sengoku era Japan. Please enjoy and share any feedback you may have!A few days later, Kaiyo was walking around with a small stack of letters for Mitsuhide.“I’m glad I decided to take the long route. The sunset by the little temple is so pretty.” She walked along, happily humming to herself.“My apologies for such a meeting place. I know it is not ideal.” Huh? That sounds like Mitsuhide. Kaiyo rounded the corner to find Mitsuhide next t...

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Chapter 39 of "Sengoku": Kennyo's Revenge

Submitted to Contest #267

This is chapter 39 of a book I am writing titled "Sengoku." The book is based off real life warlords from Sengoku era Japan. In this chapter, the famous monk Kennyo is desperate for revenge against big-time warlord Nobunaga Oda, and kidnaps the four main female characters of the book: Sakura, Misa, Kaiyo, and Yukari. Please enjoy the chapter and let me know if you have any feedback! The eleven men stood in front of their horses, their hands on their weapons, ready for anything. Oda on one side, Uesugi-Takeda on the other. Nearly five feet s...

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Aaliyah

Submitted to Contest #266

Chapter 1: Aaliyah           It was early morning, and Aaliyah, still rubbing her eyes as usual, stepped into the blinding sunlight as warmth began to crawl across her skin. Younger than her peers, the elderly women of her community would often ask her to run errands near the bustling marketplace in the morning, such as purchasing herbs, flowers, oils, and fish, and to wash the dishes and clothes at night. “Why do I have to go?” she shouted to a eunuch, ordered to guard the walls of the ...

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An Epiphany

Submitted to Contest #266

An Epiphany'Sorry dear, I can't do it.'Pawan yanked the sticky note sheet from the bathroom mirror, and read the message again – ‘Sorry dear, I can't do it’. He could not believe it. How can she step back when a step forward would be opening a whole new world for her, he thought. He swung around and stomped out, shutting the door behind him with a bang. "Sujata, Sujata! Where are you?" He marched to the kitchen, where his wife was preparing breakfast. “What’s this? He slammed the sticky note on the kitchen table. “How can you do this now? Wh...

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The Arrangement

Submitted to Contest #265

The Arrangement Back to India for Christmas, the overwhelming humidity in the air is always a welcome-home banner. The familiar road to my ancestral home, a coffee plantation-laden landscape, is now unfamiliar. It's been a while since I've ventured to return, for a reason. Mom draws me into a tight embrace, immediately scolding me. “It’s been too long Vik." Without hesitation, she draws out the elephant in the room that needs addressing, “Your aunt and I have been long considering your options and you’re not getting any younger.” "Mom, I nee...

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The Tree Remembers

Submitted to Contest #263

Trigger Warning: Verbal abuse I was fourteen years old when I left my mother. Or rather, when she abandoned me. It was a wet spring morning when Mother called me to her room. I passed my father’s–no, Lord Heo’s – quarters, already bustling with servants readying his carriage for the day. Then, I softened my steps to slink by Lady Heo’s garden, as she would be on her morning walk, and she would be furious as a rabid dog if she saw me. To my surprise, she wasn’t there. Finally, I arrived at Mother’s room. Dread had hung over me like a cloud al...

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The White Dragon - Part 1

Submitted to Contest #263

In ancient China, there was a special vocation for transporting important items from one point to another. Usually, the items can range from a huge amount of gold to important military letters that might impact the future of a nation. Only the Kungfu masters with special abilities can take this job because many dangers can happen on the way. This was the first time Wuxi’s Biaoju(bureau for transporting items) was asked to transport a prisoner. Wuxi’s father was assassinated brutally before the mission set off. The young Wuxi had no choi...

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With Love, From Home

Submitted to Contest #263

“The Cherry Hotel. Walk down the pavement, turn right, and it’s the first building on your side of the street.” There was wind on the other end of the line, distorting Mom’s voice. She was uncharacteristically precise with her instructions, but of course, I wasn’t exactly complaining - if it took longer than twenty minutes to find the mystery relative I was to bring home with me, there would be no bus to ride on for either of us. The early winter wind bit into my bare hands as my hurried footsteps sounded across the empty cement. Every build...

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What We Have and What We Have Lost

Submitted to Contest #262

tw: brief suicidal thoughts, verbal abuse, war and mentions of death It was impossible to think in this sticky heat; but they had had but five hundred arrows left to defend themselves with.  In disbelief, Seung read the report once more, feeling the paper stick to his thumb. The sun had risen just an hour ago, and yet its warmth was already making his hands clammy, “Is this really all that we have?”  He tried to keep his voice steady, but they wouldn’t last a day with that number. So his hope to survive this siege for another month...

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The Dive

Submitted to Contest #262

It was much heavier than Chelsea remembered. The steel diving cylinders pulled down on her body so that her legs wobbled and threatened to collapse. This was just another reminder of what she was running away from — her own tired and heavy existence that dragged on and on, shrinking her sense of self just like the mass of gear that now clung to her frame. Chelsea tried to ignored the uncomfortable weight and picture herself already swimming in the deep blue sea.   The olive-skinned instructor took off his old, floppy fisherman...

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A Stranger's Kindness

Submitted to Contest #261

      Liam, a traveler from Canada, wandered through Da Nang, captivated by the city’s vibrant chaos. The air was rich with the aroma of sizzling street food, the sounds of motorbikes weaving through narrow streets, and the laughter of locals enjoying their evening. The warm golden hue of the setting sun bathed the city in a soft glow, casting long shadows that danced with the rhythm of life around him. Each corner Liam turned revealed something new—a bustling market, an old temple, or a quiet alley—offering fre...

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Warabe Jizo

Submitted to Contest #260

An: Ahh, morning is breaking. Light but not yet enlightenment. The fresh fragrance of moss. Yes, I am surrounded by moss, even buried in it. I shouldn’t care, but this garden at Sanzen-in is cozier than many a previous incarnation. Did I do something right? Am I purified of an evil desire? But the goal is to be released of all desire, and I do so desire to stay comfortable in this shaded bed of moss. My moss, my most precious moss.Ko: I could have stayed half-asleep if it weren’t for the ant ...

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Shattered Honor

Submitted to Contest #260

In the heart of Higashi, where mist clung to the pines and the air was thick with the scent of sakura, there lay a town forgotten by prosperity. Its name, once celebrated in the annals of history, had faded like ink washed away by relentless rains. The people of the gloomy town lived in the shadows of a jade citadel, its towering walls casting long shadows over their lives. Within the town lived a young samurai named Kurayami. At eighteen, he stood at the threshold of adulthood, his sword arm strong and his spirit unyielding. Kurayami's fath...

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Build A Husband

Submitted to Contest #260

After reels became completely flavorless, Jessica ran out of things to do. Her thumb window wiped her phone, back and forth and back. Youtube. Instagram. Reddit. Google News. She chewed through them all. What else. Then she saw it. The app she downloaded a while ago but never felt like it to try. Edam. Her thumb loomed over and cast a shadow. She hesitated. Three seconds later, she tapped on the icon, a purple apple, undevoured. A message showed demanding an update. Jessica was glad about the reason not to proceed. Yet before she c...

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One of Fifty

Submitted to Contest #256

This story contains depictions of pain and hurting oneself, though not for reasons stemming from self-hatred or desire to inflict harm. She breathed into her back, softening her neck to tilt her head down and dip into a light bow. Shoulders back— She could feel her pulse fluttering in her neck as she rose, lashes fluttering and eyes remaining trained on the floor. Respectful— She kept her arms carefully concealed in the long sleeves draped over her arms; palms slightly sweaty, she subtly stretched her fingers to relax the tense muscles. Ele...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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