THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW ENDED. The winner is Kaz Asami @azami_kaz on Twitter. Congratulations Kaz, you’ve won a signed copy of my book Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories with illustrations by Yoshimi Ohtani and a Cherry Blossom Fragance by Amygdala!

This Christmas I’m offering you the chance to win a signed copy of my book TOKYO TALES: A COLLECTION OF JAPANESE SHORT STORIES with gorgeous illustrations by YOSHIMI OHTANI OF ARTas1 and a CHERRY BLOSSOM SOLID PERFUME by AMYGDALA from Not On The High Street.

All you need to do is RETWEET THE PINNED TWEET ON TWITTER and “LIKE” MY CHERRY BLOSSOM STORIES FACEBOOK PAGE for your chance to win. Don’t worry if you’re not on Facebook because your retweet on Twitter will still count!

The winner will be announced on 09 December, 2016 at 12 p.m. GMT.

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The main prize, a signed  paperback copy of my book Tokyo Tales: A Collection of Japanese Short Stories is also available to buy in paperback and eBook from more than 60 retailers worldwide including Amazon Kindle, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. This book includes a hellish homestay, ghosts, school bullying, a marriage arrangement and a story dedicated to the kawaii culture.

This Cherry Blossom Solid Perfume below is also part of the prize and it’s by Amygdala from Not On The High Street.  Made with beeswax, coconut oil, shea butter and parfum blend, this recipe has been perfected to create a silky luxuriant texture that glides onto the skin to leave an invisible and scented finish. This perfume is not tested on animals and it’s suitable for vegetarians, but not vegans as it contains beeswax (£10 plus delivery).

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Below are some more cherry blossom-inspired gifts from Not On The High Street that really caught my eye. If you’re looking for some unique gift ideas for Christmas these lovely items might be the perfect presents for those special people in your life:

These Cherry Blossom Biscuits are made by Eat My Cake London. You get four pretty, handmade, hand-iced, blossom biscuits in a gift box. Each delicious biscuit is iced in a delicate shade of pink, and topped with tiny yellow stamen. They are made from biscuit, flour, sugar, butter, eggs. royal icing, icing sugar, pasteurised egg whites. Once opened you should store them in an airtight container. They are best eaten within three months. (£8 plus delivery)

This beautiful Illuminated Cherry Blossom Bonsai Tree is a stylish home accessory. Forty-eight clear blossom caps cover this 45cm tree and each houses one warm white LED bulb to create a cosy atmosphere when illuminated. Super safe, the LED bulbs stay cool so you can safely leave this tree lit with little fingers and fabrics. This beautiful bonsai tree features a hand wrapped trunk and branches for an authentic feel and it sits on a sturdy metal base. With a 5m brown lead cable to the low voltage transformer (plug), you’ll find it a breeze to place anywhere in your home and each stem can be twisted and shaped into position so you can choose to have a full or swept looking tree. (£20 plus delivery)

This Blossom Wrap-around Bangle with Swarovski Crystals by J&S JEWELLERY is a gorgeous bracelet made with shimmering Swarovski crystals. It’s also available in silver and rose gold plating with different pastel coloured crystals. A matching ring and ear crawlers are also available. (From £24 plus delivery)

This Japanese Self Wrap Book Cover by MUSUBI LONDON is an elegant double-sided Japanese cloth (known as ‘furoshiki’ in Japan) – perfect as a book cover. Beautifully designed and printed in Japan, these plum tree and blossom patterned furoshikis offer double sided usability. You can customise your favourite books, alternate your daily lunchbox wrap, or even gift wrap a ‘his and hers’ present to your closest friends. The ‘small’ size range from Musubi London is a great starting point for furoshiki users. This practical size provides plenty of flexibility for everyday use – there are no rules, just sort, organise and get creative with this versatile cloth. (£8 plus delivery)

This Multi Blossom Pendant Necklace by DANIEL MUSSELWHITE JEWELLERY  features sterling silver petals with 9ct yellow gold stamens. A small cluster of different sized cherry blossom flowers hang together beautifully on a silver snake chain. 1cm (10mm) across on a 40 or 45cm sterling silver snake chain. The largest blossom flower is approximately 1.5cm across and the smallest is 9mm. (£170 plus delivery)

Finally, this large ‘Cherry Blossom’ Pure Silk Scarf by Wonderland Boutique has a pale apricot background and it comes beautifully gift wrapped in pink tissue paper in a pink bag with a silk ribbon. L180cm x W115cm. (£39 plus delivery)