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0 / 30 Fotos
Check your finger
- Looking for love? Check your finger. An East Asian myth, there are many variations of the tale, from China, Korea, and Japan.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Destined relationship
- While there are distinctions in the story between the different cultures, the common idea is that there is a destined relationship between two people, symbolized through a connection by an invisible red thread.
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2 / 30 Fotos
Forever connecting two people together
- The red thread forever connects two people. It can tangle, pull, and stretch infinitely, but the string remains tied between the two, eventually bringing them together.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Chinese legend
- According to the Chinese legend, there is a deity, Yuè Xià Lǎorén, that is responsible for tying the red thread around the two people’s ankles.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Red symbolizes happiness
- The color red, symbolizing happiness, is incredibly important in Chinese culture. Brides and grooms will wear red during marriage proceedings.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Unmei No Akai Ito
- The Japanese tradition is led by the 'God of Marriage,' called the Unmei No Akai Ito, who ties the red string around the pinky fingers of the two people destined to be together.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Moon god
- There is a story that accompanies the tradition. According to Sakuraco, an elderly man lived on the moon and was sometimes called the 'moon god.' Upon visiting Earth, he reveals people’s futures and destinies.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Revealing the thread
- How does he do this? He reveals the red thread between the fated people. Sometimes the string is tangled due to challenging circumstances.
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8 / 30 Fotos
Stretched
- Perhaps the string is stretched due to the distance between the two. But the red string will never break and it will always bring the two together in a destined manner.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Moonlit nights
- The red string is not only for lovers, it can also be between two people who have a deep connection and “share a life path.” The legend has it that the old man visits on moonlit nights.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Young boy meets the moon god
- Another variation of the story is that, while walking under moonlight, the “moon god” meets a boy. The moon god points to a girl nearby, letting him know that’s his future wife.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Destined relationship
- The boy is mortified by the revelation. He throws a stone at her, hitting her on the head. During his wedding years later, he lifts his bride’s veil and sees a small scar over her eyebrow. It was the same girl.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Circumstances do not matter
- There are many variations of the tale, all reiterating a similar idea of destined lovers, regardless of circumstances.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Explanation
- While the myth carries powerful tales, like many legends, there is an explanation associated with the story beyond just the narratives that have emerged from it.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Ulnar artery
- The ulnar artery is a blood vessel that goes from the pinky finger to the heart, explaining the belief that the heart is connected to the pinky finger.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
- In Kawagaoe, Japan, there is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, also known as the “love shrine.” Another legend emerges from this site.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Iruma River
- The story goes that over 1,500 years ago, the Iruma River ran through where the shrine stands today. The Iruma carried a mystifying blue hue that people believed occurred due to the Hikawa god.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Shrine built in honor of Hikawa
- Visitors followed the river to its source and the shrine was built in honor of Hikawa. The river is illuminated in honor of the tale.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Wind
- Japanese culture believes that love is carried by the wind. This is why the shrine is decorated with wind-themed décor. Hundreds of wind chimes and pinwheels can be found along the furin kairo, a 32-foot (10-meter) tunnel inside the shrine.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Wooden signs
- There are also hundreds of wooden signs, called ema, along the tunnel, engraved with people’s desires for the love they seek.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Activities
- The shrine sells luck charms, called omamori, which people acquire for luck in finding a partner. Visitors can also "fish" fortunes called tai mikuji (red snapper) from a bucket for luck in their relationships. There is also a red pencil, akai enpitsu, which draws the Red String of Fate.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Soulmates
- The concept is akin to the idea of soulmates—the belief that there are two people inexplicably bound together, destined to meet, perhaps in serendipitous circumstances.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
Contemporary retelling - Customs like that of the shrine reiterate the tale in contemporary times, reaffirming its role in contemporary culture and life.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Act of hope
- For those seeking love, the legend also carries that universal hope that somewhere, there is someone tied to them who they will inevitably meet at some point.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Bound together
- No matter the time, place, or circumstances that may arise, these two people are bound together in profound ways that will have a significant impact on their lives.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Nothing is by chance
- The red threads, given at birth, are part of our predestined lives. By extension, the belief also reiterates that nothing that happens to us is by chance or accidental.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Destiny is mapped out
- On the contrary, we cannot make a "wrong" decision, because all of our steps, journeys, and destinations are already mapped out. “Journeys end in lovers meeting,” said Shakespeare.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Always on the perfect path
- No matter what route we may take or how unclear our journey may seem, in this belief, we are always on the perfect path, connected by a string to someone else who, in some ways, is also leading us.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Red String of Fate
- Even at our loneliest, when we may be seeking love and connection without luck, the Red String of Fate reminds us that we are already linked to another. Sources: (Sakuraco) (Medium) (Faena Aleph) (Japan Guide) (The Culture Trip) See also: The science behind falling in love
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Check your finger
- Looking for love? Check your finger. An East Asian myth, there are many variations of the tale, from China, Korea, and Japan.
© Shutterstock
1 / 30 Fotos
Destined relationship
- While there are distinctions in the story between the different cultures, the common idea is that there is a destined relationship between two people, symbolized through a connection by an invisible red thread.
© Shutterstock
2 / 30 Fotos
Forever connecting two people together
- The red thread forever connects two people. It can tangle, pull, and stretch infinitely, but the string remains tied between the two, eventually bringing them together.
© Shutterstock
3 / 30 Fotos
Chinese legend
- According to the Chinese legend, there is a deity, Yuè Xià Lǎorén, that is responsible for tying the red thread around the two people’s ankles.
© Shutterstock
4 / 30 Fotos
Red symbolizes happiness
- The color red, symbolizing happiness, is incredibly important in Chinese culture. Brides and grooms will wear red during marriage proceedings.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Unmei No Akai Ito
- The Japanese tradition is led by the 'God of Marriage,' called the Unmei No Akai Ito, who ties the red string around the pinky fingers of the two people destined to be together.
© Shutterstock
6 / 30 Fotos
Moon god
- There is a story that accompanies the tradition. According to Sakuraco, an elderly man lived on the moon and was sometimes called the 'moon god.' Upon visiting Earth, he reveals people’s futures and destinies.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Revealing the thread
- How does he do this? He reveals the red thread between the fated people. Sometimes the string is tangled due to challenging circumstances.
© Shutterstock
8 / 30 Fotos
Stretched
- Perhaps the string is stretched due to the distance between the two. But the red string will never break and it will always bring the two together in a destined manner.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Moonlit nights
- The red string is not only for lovers, it can also be between two people who have a deep connection and “share a life path.” The legend has it that the old man visits on moonlit nights.
© Shutterstock
10 / 30 Fotos
Young boy meets the moon god
- Another variation of the story is that, while walking under moonlight, the “moon god” meets a boy. The moon god points to a girl nearby, letting him know that’s his future wife.
© Getty Images
11 / 30 Fotos
Destined relationship
- The boy is mortified by the revelation. He throws a stone at her, hitting her on the head. During his wedding years later, he lifts his bride’s veil and sees a small scar over her eyebrow. It was the same girl.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Circumstances do not matter
- There are many variations of the tale, all reiterating a similar idea of destined lovers, regardless of circumstances.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Explanation
- While the myth carries powerful tales, like many legends, there is an explanation associated with the story beyond just the narratives that have emerged from it.
© Getty Images
14 / 30 Fotos
Ulnar artery
- The ulnar artery is a blood vessel that goes from the pinky finger to the heart, explaining the belief that the heart is connected to the pinky finger.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine
- In Kawagaoe, Japan, there is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, also known as the “love shrine.” Another legend emerges from this site.
© Getty Images
16 / 30 Fotos
Iruma River
- The story goes that over 1,500 years ago, the Iruma River ran through where the shrine stands today. The Iruma carried a mystifying blue hue that people believed occurred due to the Hikawa god.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Shrine built in honor of Hikawa
- Visitors followed the river to its source and the shrine was built in honor of Hikawa. The river is illuminated in honor of the tale.
© Shutterstock
18 / 30 Fotos
Wind
- Japanese culture believes that love is carried by the wind. This is why the shrine is decorated with wind-themed décor. Hundreds of wind chimes and pinwheels can be found along the furin kairo, a 32-foot (10-meter) tunnel inside the shrine.
© Shutterstock
19 / 30 Fotos
Wooden signs
- There are also hundreds of wooden signs, called ema, along the tunnel, engraved with people’s desires for the love they seek.
© Shutterstock
20 / 30 Fotos
Activities
- The shrine sells luck charms, called omamori, which people acquire for luck in finding a partner. Visitors can also "fish" fortunes called tai mikuji (red snapper) from a bucket for luck in their relationships. There is also a red pencil, akai enpitsu, which draws the Red String of Fate.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Soulmates
- The concept is akin to the idea of soulmates—the belief that there are two people inexplicably bound together, destined to meet, perhaps in serendipitous circumstances.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
Contemporary retelling - Customs like that of the shrine reiterate the tale in contemporary times, reaffirming its role in contemporary culture and life.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Act of hope
- For those seeking love, the legend also carries that universal hope that somewhere, there is someone tied to them who they will inevitably meet at some point.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
Bound together
- No matter the time, place, or circumstances that may arise, these two people are bound together in profound ways that will have a significant impact on their lives.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Nothing is by chance
- The red threads, given at birth, are part of our predestined lives. By extension, the belief also reiterates that nothing that happens to us is by chance or accidental.
© Shutterstock
26 / 30 Fotos
Destiny is mapped out
- On the contrary, we cannot make a "wrong" decision, because all of our steps, journeys, and destinations are already mapped out. “Journeys end in lovers meeting,” said Shakespeare.
© Shutterstock
27 / 30 Fotos
Always on the perfect path
- No matter what route we may take or how unclear our journey may seem, in this belief, we are always on the perfect path, connected by a string to someone else who, in some ways, is also leading us.
© Shutterstock
28 / 30 Fotos
Red String of Fate
- Even at our loneliest, when we may be seeking love and connection without luck, the Red String of Fate reminds us that we are already linked to another. Sources: (Sakuraco) (Medium) (Faena Aleph) (Japan Guide) (The Culture Trip) See also: The science behind falling in love
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
The Japanese 'Red String of Fate'
A fated connection between two people
© Shutterstock
Originating from East Asian mythology, the 'Red String of Fate' is the belief that two people predestined to be together are bound by an invisible red thread. The red thread, tied by the 'God of Marriage' around the two people's fingers, symbolizes a fated connection that can never break, regardless of the circumstances. The red thread will bring these people together eventually, no matter how complex the paths to each other.
The belief, akin to that of soulmates, is often referenced in literature, film, and art. Intrigued? Click on to find out more.
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