FREE
Each year, the Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest heightens awareness of Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo by challenging both new and experienced writers to write a story that showcases familiarity with the neighborhood and the people in it. Writers from three categories—Adult, Youth, and Japanese language—weave fictional stories set in the past, present, or future. Each category winner will be awarded a cash prize and their story will be published in The Rafu Shimpo and on the Discover Nikkei website.
This year’s winning stories captured the spirit and cultural essence of Little Tokyo. Though we are not able to gather in Little Tokyo, Imagine Little Tokyo is bringing the awards ceremony online! Actors Tamlyn Tomita, Derek Mio, and Eijiro Ozaki will perform dramatic readings of the winning stories from each category and the winners themselves will have the opportunity to share brief reflections.
Read the winning stories on Discover Nikkei.
Read stories from past Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contests:
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest I
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest II
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest III
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest IV
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest V
- Imagine Little Tokyo Short Story Contest VI
Funding has been provided by California Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan of 2020.
The contest is presented by Little Tokyo Historical Society in partnership with JANM’s Discover Nikkei project.