Chain letter#Email

{{Short description|Letter written in succession by a group of people}}

{{Redirect|Email chain letter|email chains in the sense of email threads|Conversation threading}}

A chain letter is a message that attempts to convince the recipient to make a number of copies and pass them on to a certain number of recipients. The "chain" is an exponentially growing pyramid (a tree graph) that cannot be sustained indefinitely.

Common methods used in chain letters include emotionally manipulative stories, get-rich-quick pyramid schemes, and the exploitation of superstition to threaten the recipient with misfortune or promise good luck. Originally, chain letters were letters sent by mail; today, chain letters are often sent electronically via email, social network sites, and text messages.

Types

There are two main types of chain letter:

Hoaxes: Hoaxes attempt to trick or defraud users. A hoax could be malicious, instructing users to delete a file necessary to the operating system by claiming it is a virus. It could also be a scam that convinces users to spread the letter to other people for a specific reason, or send money or personal information. Phishing attacks could fall into this category. Get-rich-quick pyramid schemes promising a substantial return for sending money to people on a list are a common form of hoax chain letter.
Luck- or superstition-based letters: These letters promise good luck for forwarding the message or threaten bad luck (or even death) if the chain is broken or the letter is not forwarded. These often prey on superstition. This category includes urban legends designed to be redistributed, usually warning users of a threat or claiming to be notifying them of important or urgent information. Another common form are emails that promise users monetary rewards for forwarding the message or suggest that they are signing something that will be submitted to a particular group. These usually have no negative effect aside from wasted time and potential anxiety for the recipient.

In the United States, chain letters that request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants (such as the infamous Make Money Fast scheme) are illegal.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120508132454/https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx Chain Letters]. United States Postal Inspection Service. Archived from [https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/sweepstakesfraud/ChainLetters.aspx the original] on 8 May 2012. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service cites {{USC|18|1302}} when it asserts that chain letters are "illegal if they request money or other items of value and promise a substantial return to the participants, pursuant to {{USC|18|1302|pipe=Title 18, United States Code, Section 1302}}, the Postal Lottery Statute". Some colleges and military bases have passed regulations stating that in the private mail of college students and military personnel, respectively, chain letters are not authorized and will be thrown out. However, it is often difficult to distinguish chain letters from genuine correspondence.

Channels

=Print=

File:Chain Letter.jpg taped to it as what it calls a "financial eye-catcher"]]

The oldest known channel for chain letters is written, or printed, on letters on paper. These might be exchanged hand-to-hand or distributed through the mail.

==Early examples and precursors==

In Europe, letters known as "Himmelsbrief" ({{langx|en|Heaven Letters}}; {{langx|de|Himmelsbrief}}) existed, with examples dating back as early as the 6th century. Purported to have fallen from heaven, delivered by God or an agent thereof, they often urged adherence to Christian teachings and promised protection from misfortune to those who possessed the letter. By the 20th century, these evolved to include instructions: copying the letter and sending it to a set number of people would bring good fortune, while failing to do so would bring misfortune. Eventually, the religious elements faded, leaving simple instructions to circulate the letter for good luck or face bad luck. Already in the nineteenth century, similar chain letters were known to have circulated among Muslim pilgrims going on the hajj to Mecca. Those chain letters promised blessings or curses and required replication.{{Cite journal|last=Hamed-Troyansky|first=Vladimir|date=2023|title=Letters from the Ottoman Empire: Migration from the Caucasus and Russia's Pan-Islamic Panic|journal=Slavic Review|volume=82|issue=2|pages=311–333|doi=10.1017/slr.2023.164|doi-access=free}}

File:Himmelsbrief christian text colored angel 1800.jpg

One notorious early example of a money-based chain letter was the "Prosperity Club" or "Send-a-Dime" letter. This letter started in Denver, Colorado in 1935, based on an earlier luck letter. It instructed recipients to send a dime to the person at the top of a list of names, remove that name, add their own to the bottom, and mail the letter to five others, warning of misfortune for breaking the chain. It soon swamped the Denver post office with up to 100,000 letters per day before spilling into St. Louis and other cities. Some consider this a precursor to the Japanese "Fukou no Tegami" (Unlucky Letter).

In 1964, the head of the United States Postal Inspection Service ordered a nationwide crackdown on violators of postal fraud and lottery laws due to an increase of chain letters reported around college towns in the United States. The typical letters included a list of names and instructed the recipient to send money to the name at the top of the list, remove that name, add their own name to the bottom of the list, and forward the letters to two more people.

==Chain letters in Japan==

File:Fukou no tegami 20240913.jpg

Japan has a long history of practices resembling chain letters, often tied to warding off misfortune or attracting good luck through specific, shared actions. During the Edo period (Bunsei era, 1818–1830), sending printed images of Daikokuten with instructions to distribute them to 100 homes for good luck became popular, eventually banned by the shogunate but resurfacing in the early Meiji period. Other historical examples include rumors in 1813 that seeing a specific star meant death unless one ate botamochi, and rumors during World War II involving the mythical creature Kudan predicting protection from air raids if one ate azuki rice or ohagi, or Takami Jun's diary entry about eating only rakkyō for breakfast to avoid bombings, provided the information was shared. This cultural background of sharing methods to attract luck or avoid disaster is seen as a foundation for the later popularity of chain letters in Japan.

===Kōun no Tegami (幸運の手紙 - Lucky Letter)===

File:Tokyo Asahi Shinbun 1922-11-20 2.jpg

Beginning around 1922 in Tokyo, "Kōun no Tegami" (幸運の手紙 - Lucky Letter), also called "Kōun no Hagaki" (Lucky Postcard), became popular. Believed to originate from the "Lucky Chain" game popular in Europe during World War I or similar chain letters in the US, these letters were translated into Japanese. A 30 January 1922, Tokyo Asahi Shimbun article mentions a postcard mailed from London, suggesting foreign origins.

File:Tokyo Asahi Shinbun 1922-01-27 01.jpg

These letters promised great fortune if the recipient copied the text onto a certain number of postcards (e.g., nine) and sent them to others within a time limit (e.g., 24 hours), but threatened "great misfortune" (大悪運, dai-aku'un) if the chain was broken. Some included harsh warnings like "great disaster within 24 hours" for breaking the chain. The letters often mentioned the chain needing to circle the globe a certain number of times (e.g., nine times), reflecting the era of mail transport by ship. An example from the 27 January 1922, Tokyo Asahi Shimbun reads:

{{Quotation|For Good Fortune

Please write these exact words on nine postcards and send them to people from whom you wish good fortune.

After nine days, great fortune will surely come your way. However, if you break this postcard chain, great misfortune will come instead.

Please write these within twenty-four hours of seeing this postcard.

This venture was started by an American officer and must circle the globe nine times.|"Handwritten letter example"|{{Harvnb|丸山|2022|pp=18-19}} citing Tokyo Asahi Shimbun}}

The phenomenon became a social issue, frequently reported in newspapers. File:Tokyo Asahi Shinbun 1922-02-26.jpg Politicians used them for campaigns, and businesses created advertisements mimicking the format, leveraging the free distribution network. Writer and social critic Miyatake Gaikotsu documented the trend in his 1922 book Kitai Ryūkōshi (History of Strange Fads), noting people sent them out of fear of misfortune. (Gaikotsu stated his interest in the Lucky Letter phenomenon inspired him to write the book.) Unlike later "Unlucky Letters," the focus was theoretically on gaining luck, but the fear of incurring bad luck by breaking the chain often dominated. While Western interpretations often focused on monetary gain/loss, Japanese interpretations tended towards physical harm, illness, or death as the consequence of misfortune. Newspaper accounts described people overcome with anxiety, sending the letters despite skepticism. The potential for exponential growth (one person sending nine, repeated ten times, yielding over 3.4 billion letters) was also noted as problematic. The trend spread, appearing in Fengtian (now Shenyang), Manchuria in May 1922, where authorities attempted, unsuccessfully, to ban them. The 1923 Great Kantō earthquake later led some to view the letter craze as an ill omen.

File:Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun 1926-08-01.jpg

In 1926, a Lucky Letter incident involved prominent figures. Imakita Sakunosuke, head of the government's Monopoly Bureau, received an English letter via an American acquaintance and a Japanese scholar. Imakita translated it, added instructions to send to nine friends, and mailed it to influential figures in politics and finance, causing a stir. Police investigated, finding recipients including former Tokyo mayor Gotō Shinpei. The Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun reported the event on 1 August 1926. Imakita claimed his daughter sent them playfully, but some analysts question this, suggesting it might have been a pre-arranged excuse or even an early experiment in information diffusion, given the involvement of military figures and Gotō Shinpei (then president of NHK's predecessor). Political scientist Yoshino Sakuzō also received one in August 1926, dismissing it as foolish but criticizing police intervention as overreach. Despite suppression efforts, senders were sometimes punished.

File:Tokyo Asahi Shinbun 1935-09-03.jpg

Although some sources claim Lucky Letters died out after the Great Kanto Earthquake due to crackdowns, they continued to appear. In 1935, a man was arrested for attempting a money-making scheme similar to the Denver "Send-a-Dime" letter, using the phone book to mail 350 letters asking for small cash contributions.

File:We are already tired of war 1943.jpg

During World War II (1943), an anti-war chain letter circulated, stating "We are already tired of war. Let us pray to God for peace to come soon," instructing recipients to send copies to two acquaintances (the small number possibly reflecting wartime shortages). Post-war examples include a "Fuku'un no Tegami" (福運の手紙 - Fortune Letter) in 1948–1949, promising large sums of money (e.g., ¥16 million or ¥200,000) if recipients sent a small amount (e.g., ¥2 or ¥20) to the first name on a list, updated the list, and forwarded it to others (e.g., 7 or 15 people). File:Yomiuri Shinbun 1954-10-01.jpg By 1954, newspapers reported on the anxiety these letters caused, with a middle school girl terrified by a threat of death for not forwarding within 12 hours, and a man seeking advice after receiving a letter claiming someone died for ignoring it. Some letters used famous foreign figures, claiming Franklin D. Roosevelt became president by sending one, or Thomas Edison died for not sending one.

===Fukou no Tegami (不幸の手紙 - Unlucky Letter)===

File:Questionnaire on 'Fukou no Tegami' (Japanese chain letter).svg

The "Fukou no Tegami" (不幸の手紙 - Unlucky Letter) phenomenon is thought to have emerged when the "good luck" aspect of earlier letters disappeared, leaving only the threat of misfortune. Some suggest it began as a simple prank, replacing "good luck" with "bad luck" in existing templates. Research suggests it started trending around 1969 or 1970. Newspaper articles from late 1970 and 1972 trace its spread from Kyushu through Osaka, Nagoya, and Tokyo starting around 1969. Other accounts place the start slightly earlier, around 1965.

By summer 1970, it was prevalent in Tokyo, spreading to the Kinki region (centering on Kyoto) by November 1970, and becoming a nationwide phenomenon that same month. A Yomiuri Shimbun article on 26 November 1970 reported receiving over a hundred complaints since early October. Typical wording included:

{{Quotation|This is an Unlucky Letter, a death god that came to me sequentially from Okinawa. A Canadian supposedly thought of it. If you stop it with you, misfortune will certainly visit. A person in Texas stopped it and died five years later. You too, please send this letter to twenty-nine people within thirty hours without changing the text. I am number XXX.|Quoted in {{Harvnb|東|1996|p=78}}}}

{{Quotation|This is an Unlucky Letter.
The person who receives it must send the same letter to ten people within one week.
Ms./Mr. ■■ in Class 6-2 at ■■ Elementary School stopped the letter and died in a traffic accident ten days later.
If you ignore this, disaster will surely befall you too.|Quoted in {{Harvnb|初見|2018}}, redactions in original}}

{{External media|

|image1=[https://archive.today/9Vyjg/8fae7154a55cee93f3a0ec340374643cd9532ff5.jpg Typical example of a 1970s Fukou no Tegami] - Mu PLUS

}}

Variations included different time limits (e.g., 50 hours) and recipient counts (e.g., 29 or 10). The letters often personified themselves ("I am an Unlucky Letter") or invoked a "death god" (死神, shinigami), suggesting the letter itself possessed supernatural power. Many included instructions not to tell anyone about receiving the letter, threatening death if revealed, likely to prevent consultation. They were sent anonymously, sometimes as letters in envelopes, sometimes as postcards. Some 1990s versions replaced "Okinawa" with "Ōita," lacked foreign references, used Japanese names for victims, and ended with "I am also a victim." Like earlier Lucky Letters, some invoked famous foreigners, such as claiming Napoleon Bonaparte died for not sending one.

Recipients were often chosen randomly from phone books or sometimes from alumni or company directories, though senders often expressed reluctance to target people they knew. In the 1970s, before widespread access to photocopiers, recipients had to hand-copy the entire text.

A key difference from earlier Lucky Letters was the anonymity; Lucky Letters often included the sender's name and sometimes a list of previous senders, making the chain's path somewhat traceable. Fukou no Tegami's power was also portrayed as inherent to the letter itself ("this is a death god"), whereas Lucky Letters typically threatened misfortune only as a consequence of *breaking the chain*. Furthermore, while Lucky Letters circulated mainly among adults, Fukou no Tegami spread widely among children (elementary and middle school students) as well, possibly linked to schools becoming hubs for ghost stories during Japan's high-growth period.

After a period of police activity led to a decline in early 1971, the letters resurged in Tokyo by late 1971 and spread nationwide again by May 1972, with letters reported arriving from various regions. The phenomenon persisted into the 1990s, adapting to use photocopiers and fax machines. Minor resurgences occurred from 1990–1992 and again in 1998. In 1993, a Portuguese version circulated within Japan's Brazilian Japanese community, printed via word processor, mixing promises of lottery wins with threats of job loss or spousal death.

=== Social Reaction and Impact in Japan ===

Fukou no Tegami became a significant social problem, widely covered by media and even becoming a buzzword in 1970. Police stations received numerous inquiries and complaints, with people bringing in letters, demanding action, or expressing fear. A 1970 Sankei Shimbun survey found 75.6% of people knew about the letters, and 20.5% had received one. While nearly half (45.8%) dismissed them as "absurd", significant portions found them "infuriating" (28.9%), "creepy" (12.9%), or "anxiety-inducing" (4.4%). About half (49.3%) discarded them, but 17.4% admitted to forwarding them, particularly women (45% of female office workers surveyed).

Anecdotes highlighted the distress caused: a woman forwarded one despite her husband's objections, leading to marital strife; another developed chronic hives after discarding one and becoming anxious; people angrily confronted police or postal workers. Magazine pen pal sections were inundated, leading some, like the manga magazine Ribon, to shut down columns listing readers' addresses. Occult magazine Mu received so many it started a "Fukou no Tegami Grand Collection" feature. In Saitama Prefecture alone, over 400 cases were reported to police by late 1986, with some individuals reportedly suffering nervous breakdowns.

While many dismissed the letters, others were deeply troubled, caught between the fear of personal misfortune and the guilt of potentially inflicting it on others by forwarding the letter – a dilemma described as highlighting selfishness ("as long as I'm okay") versus conscience. Some admitted forwarding out of a "better safe than sorry" mentality, while others likely sent them maliciously to disliked individuals or simply out of boredom or curiosity about the recipient's reaction.

Prominent figures also received them. Actress Kimiko Ikegami received one in 1975, shortly before her grandfather, Bando Mitsugoro VIII, died unexpectedly, fueling public outrage against the letters. In 1978, Koseki Kinko, wife of composer Yūji Koseki, wrote a widely publicized newspaper column urging people to simply destroy the letters, sharing her own experience of doing so without consequence and encouraging readers to face adversity positively.

=== Expert Opinions on the Japanese Phenomenon ===

Experts offered various interpretations. Shinto scholar Kato Takahisa saw it revealing underlying societal anxiety despite modernization. Psychiatrist Shigeta Saitō called it symptomatic of the times, criticizing the "self-centered" impulse to pass on misfortune compared to earlier Lucky Letters. Sociologist Mita Munesuke termed it the "pass the buck" (ババ抜き, babanuki, like the card game Old Maid) mentality amplified. Writer Nada Inada linked it to persistent superstition in modern society and the fear triggered by confronting the taboo subject of unhappiness. Social psychologist Akira Tsujimura noted the unsettling effect of anonymity, the resonance with the ever-present reality of death, and its alignment with modern egoism. Writer Kenichi Hatsumi recalled playing "unlucky letter games" as a child, suggesting a parody element existed alongside genuine fear. Shrine priest Ishikawa Masayasu pointed out how the letters exploit psychological weakness, trapping people between spreading harm and fearing personal consequences.

=== Responses by Organizations in Japan ===

Various organizations stepped in to handle the letters and alleviate public anxiety:

Police: Efforts included public awareness campaigns (Chiba urging letters be sent to the police chief, Niigata advising disposal), setting up collection boxes (Kanagawa's "Shichifuku Post" meaning "Seven Fortunes Post," Shiga's "Purification Boxes"), issuing warnings about potential prosecution for threats (Osaka), and offering to dispose of letters brought to stations (Tokyo). However, prosecution was difficult as the content rarely met the legal definition of a threat.
Post Offices: Initially handled refused letters as undeliverable, but later some branches actively collected them for disposal, citing inability to screen mail beforehand due to privacy laws. Initiatives included collection and incineration programs (Shiga, 1990; Saga instructing on refusal procedures; Shizuoka, 1991).
Temples and Shrines: Many offered to collect and ritually dispose of the letters through burning ceremonies (kuyō). Notable examples include young monks at Mount Kōya (1971), Hase-dera in Tokyo (from 1977), temples in Ise (1977), temples in Matsumoto installing "Unlucky Letter Offering Boxes" (1977), Shōzō-ji temple in Tokyo (accepting mail and later email), Ikuta Shrine in Kobe (from 1970), Hikawa Shrine in Saitama (1971), and Kōfuku Shrine ("Happiness Shrine") in Hyūga, which famously offered to "turn unlucky letters into tickets to happiness" and received thousands.
Collaboration: Some post offices partnered with temples for disposal, such as in Gifu (Hokkata Post Office sending collected letters to Tokurin-ji Temple in Nagoya for burning on Fumi no Hi (Letter Day), starting 1991) and Kōchi (Kōchi Central Post Office setting up a dedicated P.O. Box "940" - a pun on kuyō - with letters ritually burned at Chikurin-ji Temple from 1995).
Others: Individuals publicly offered to receive letters (a Chiba salaryman collecting postmarks in 1970, a Tokyo man collecting 2000 letters by 1978). Radio host Yutaka Tonegawa invited listeners to send letters to him after hearing about a child's distress, arranging for disposal at Toyokawa Inari Tokyo Betsuin. Music magazine {{proper name|ARENA37°C}} collected letters from readers. A reader suggested an apotropaic ritual involving drawing a blue crescent moon over the address and tearing the letter into three pieces.

=== Variations and Transformations in Print ===

Besides the standard Fukou no Tegami, variations emerged:

Guinness Challenge Letters: In the 1990s, some chain letters disguised themselves as attempts to set a Guinness World Record for the longest chain, sometimes falsely claiming support from Scout groups. These often still contained veiled threats of misfortune for non-participation. Guinness World Records publicly denied any involvement.
Eveletter (エブレター, Eburetā): A variation promising romantic success or good fortune if forwarded, and misfortune or social loss if not.
{{External media|

|image1=[https://archive.today/LeNZG/1ea11c9328407bdd89192eb9d217ce8dec911ff5.JPG Example of a "Stick Letter"] - Hiroshi Yamamoto's SF Secret Base

}}Stick Letter (棒の手紙, Bō no Tegami): File:Metamorphose from a letter of misfortune to a letter of sticks.svg A prominent mutation originating in the 1990s where the handwritten characters for "unlucky" (不幸, fukō) were misread or sloppily copied as the character for "stick" (棒, bō). Due to the instruction "do not change the text", this error was faithfully propagated, eventually becoming more common than the original "unlucky" version. These often contained specific, though fictional, details about victims (e.g., "Ms./Mr. XX of XX University was killed by Ms./Mr. XX for stopping it") and escalating requirements or warnings. Poor handwriting led to further errors, like "handwritten or copy" (手書き、コピー可) becoming "予書、ヒピーも可" (gibberish). By 1997, photocopied and word-processed versions were common, introducing new errors like typos (e.g., "I am" 私は becoming 渡しは). Writer Hiroshi Yamamoto analyzed these, noting internal contradictions (e.g., adding victim details violated the "do not change text" rule) and later fictionalized the phenomenon. Scholar Maruyama Yasuaki links the "stick" error to the increasing prevalence of horizontal writing with the rise of personal computers, making the visual confusion between the characters more likely. The "Stick Letter" faded around 1998, likely due to accumulating errors rendering it nonsensical.

=Email=

File:Spam e-mail (Mobile phone).svg

Some email messages sent as chain letters may seem fairly harmless; for example, a school student wishing to see how many people can receive their email for a science project, but they can grow exponentially and be hard to stop. Infamously, the salacious Claire Swire email spread in a chain-like fashion when its recipient sought to learn Swire's identity.

Messages sometimes include phony promises from companies or wealthy individuals (such as Bill Gates) promising a monetary reward to everyone who receives the message.{{cite web |first=Barbara |last=Mikkelson |author2=David Mikkelson |title=Thousand Dollar Bill |work=Urban Legends Reference Pages |url=http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/nothing/billgate.asp |access-date=2008-03-24 |archive-date=2020-01-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200108081410/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/thousand-dollar-bill/ |url-status=live }} They may also be politically motivated, such as "Save the Scouts, forward this to as many friends as possible"{{cite web |first=Barbara |last=Mikkelson |author2=David Mikkelson |title=A Boy Scout Outing |work=Urban Legends Reference Pages |date=31 October 2000 |url=http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/petition/boyscout.asp |access-date=6 August 2008 }} or a warning that a popular TV or radio show may be forced off the air.{{cite web |first=Barbara |last=Mikkelson |author2=David Mikkelson |title=Petition to Ban Religious Broadcasting |work=Urban Legends Reference Pages |date=15 March 2001 |url=http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/fcc.asp |access-date=6 August 2008 |archive-date=4 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704234257/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/petition-to-ban-religious-broadcasting/ |url-status=live }} Some, such as the Hawaiian Good Luck Totem, which has spread in thousands of forms, threaten users with bad luck if not forwarded.Newton, Michael (2004). [https://books.google.com/books?id=sAK6_W7lLkoC The encyclopedia of high-tech crime and crime-fighting]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605232024/https://books.google.com/books?id=sAK6_W7lLkoC |date=2019-06-05 }}. p. 144. One chain letter distributed on MSN Hotmail began, "Hey it's Tara and John the directors of MSN..." and subsequently claimed readers' accounts would be deleted if they did not pass on the message.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4778046.stm |title=Thousands fall for hotmail prank |access-date=27 May 2008 |work=BBC News |date=8 March 2006 |archive-date=8 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080408110632/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4778046.stm |url-status=live }}

Another common form of email chain letter is the virus hoax and a form of cyberbullying.

==Email Chain Letters in Japan==

With the rise of email and mobile phones, digital versions of Fukou no Tegami, known as "Fukou no Mail" (不幸のメール - Unlucky Mail), emerged. Early versions in the 1990s often lacked the elaborate justifications of printed letters, simply threatening death ("コロサレル," korosareru) or dire consequences ("タイヘンナコトニナル," taihen na koto ni naru) for not forwarding. By 1995, they were reported spreading within corporate email systems. In 1999, widespread circulation via mobile phones and PHS was noted, with messages like "Send this mail to 6 people within 5 days or die," "16 people who ignored this are dead," or "You will definitely die if you read this mail to the end."

Later examples reported by the Japan Data Communication Association (DEKYO) include threats like: "My girlfriend disappeared. Forward this to 20 people to help find her. Anyone who stops the mail is the culprit and I will come kill them in 8 days," "A girl named ■■ was bullied and committed suicide. Her ghost still wanders. If you don't send this to 15+ people, she will attack you," or "My best friend ■■ betrayed me. I was hit by a car and lost both legs. Send this to 10 people in 10 hours, or I will come steal your legs." Particularly notorious were the "Kikuchi Ayane chain mail" (featuring a murdered girl's ghost seeking friends and her killer) and the "Tachibana Ayumi chain mail" (claiming a friend was murdered and the sender would use phone location data to find and kill anyone who didn't forward the mail to enough people, assuming they were the culprit), the latter appearing as early as 2001. Emails invoking revenge or ghosts seeking killers became common from late 1999 onwards, sometimes influenced by popular horror like the movie Ring, leading to "Sadako mail" threatening curses from the film's antagonist. A lighter(?) example was the "Fukou no Takagi Boo" (Unlucky Takagi Boo) mail circulating among high school girls in 1998, claiming to reveal comedian Takagi Boo's phone number and threatening weight gain if not forwarded.

Forwarding such emails could have legal consequences; in 2000, a university student in Yamaguchi Prefecture was questioned by police on suspicion of intimidation for forwarding a threatening chain mail.

File:Survey results on Spam e-mail in Japan.svg

In response to the prevalence of these emails, in 2005 the Japan Data Communication Association set up dedicated email addresses (advertised as a "digital trash can") where people could forward unwanted chain mails for deletion. Within months, they received tens of thousands of emails, the majority being superstition-based chain letters. Analysis in 2008 found that 78% of emails received fell into the "luck/unluck" category (though many contained links to dating or adult sites). These disposal addresses remain active. Shōzō-ji temple in Tokyo also accepts unlucky emails, printing them out for ritual disposal.

=Web communities=

File:Electronic spam (Social networking service).svg

Chain letters within social media platforms became widespread on Myspace (in the form of Myspace bulletins) and YouTube (in the form of video comments) as well as on Facebook through messages or applications. For instance, the chain post/email of Carmen Winstead,{{cite web |url=http://www.snopes.com/horrors/ghosts/winstead.asp |title=MySpace Ghost of Murdered Teen |date=10 October 2006 |publisher=snopes.com |access-date=22 November 2011 |archive-date=4 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210704234257/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/carmen-winstead/ |url-status=live }} supposedly about a girl from Indiana who was pushed down a sewage drain in a fire drill, states that, "if you do not repost/send this to 10 people, Carmen will find you and kill you." Chain letters are often coupled with intimidating hoaxes or the promise of providing the sender with "secret" information once they have forwarded the message.

==SNS and Forum Chain Messages in Japan==

From around 2011, email chain letters declined in Japan, while similar messages spread via SNS. On Twitter (now X), this often takes the form of pressured retweets (now reposts), while on LINE, messages urge forwarding to a specific number of contacts. Common LINE examples since 2016 include: "Copy this and send to 10 people or misfortune will befall you," or "You received this because you're important to me. Send this to 20 people you truly like. If you don't, friends or lovers will leave you." The latter type, leveraging friendship anxiety, reportedly caused real friction when recipients felt pressured to forward, annoying their contacts. Some include phone numbers to call "if you think it's fake," but these are often unrelated third-party numbers used for harassment, or sometimes linked to organized crime. Surveys indicate high exposure among Japanese teenagers, with many admitting to forwarding them. Online forums like Yahoo! Chiebukuro and Nifty Kids receive numerous相談 (sōdan - consultation) requests about these messages.

On Japanese imageboards and forums like 2channel (now 5channel), copy-paste chain messages also appear. One notable type emerged around 2002, involving narratives where the poster claims to be possessed or hunted by a malevolent entity (e.g., "Are" - "That Thing") and urges readers to spread the story to dilute the entity's focus, ending with statements like "If you want to increase your own survival probability, I recommend exposing this text to as many eyes as possible." These are sometimes called "self-responsibility type" (自己責任系, jiko sekinin kei) stories.

{{External media|

|image1=[https://asset.watch.impress.co.jp/img/iw/docs/1575/501/01_o.jpg Image known as the "Hand of God"] - Impress Watch

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Since around 2007, an image known as the "Hand of God" (神の手, Kami no Te)—depicting a hand-shaped cloud with sunbeams—has circulated frequently on Twitter and LINE in Japan. Typically accompanied by text claiming that sending it to people you wish happiness upon will bring them good luck and grant wishes, the image has been flagged by security firms like G DATA Software as potentially linked to malware. (Meteorologists state such cloud formations are impossible; the image likely originated as a doctored version of a shock image from Goatse.cx.) The image gained renewed attention in 2021 when celebrities posted it on Instagram, prompting warnings. This "Hand of God" image represents a shift back towards positive "good luck" chains, albeit with potential security risks. {{See also|Goatse.cx#Popular culture and parodies}}

On TikTok, sounds tagged "#いいことが起きる" (#GoodThingsWillHappen) gained popularity around 2022-2023, particularly among Japanese high school students, promising fulfilled wishes if used in posts. These represent a further evolution towards positive, low-stakes chain-like phenomena, contrasting with the anxiety-inducing nature of Fukou no Tegami.

While digital copying allows perfect replication, potentially halting the mutation seen in handwritten letters like the "Stick Letter," new forms and variations continue to emerge across different platforms, suggesting the underlying mechanisms of chain letters constantly adapt to new media.

Reasons for Popularity

The enduring appeal and periodic surges in chain letter popularity have been linked to various factors:

Societal Anxiety: Periods of social unrest or uncertainty are often cited. In Japan, the 1970s Fukou no Tegami boom coincided with events like the Yodo-go hijacking, Yukio Mishima's suicide, the Sanrizuka Struggle, and the Asama-Sansō incident. Similarly, the 1920s Lucky Letter craze occurred amidst post-WWI turmoil, the 1918 Rice Riots, the Oomoto incident, and leading up to the Great Kanto Earthquake.
Psychological Factors: Exploiting common fears (misfortune, death, social exclusion) and desires (luck, wealth, connection). The act of forwarding can provide a temporary sense of control or relief from anxiety, even if illogical. Some analyses suggest Japanese cultural tendencies towards accepting fate might make such letters more potent than in some Western cultures. For children, who lack adult coping mechanisms, forwarding can be a way to displace anxiety.
Cultural Context: In Japan, a strong post-war culture of letter writing, including widespread pen pal activities among students facilitated by organizations like the "Postal Friends Association" (郵便友の会, Yūbin Tomo no Kai), may have provided fertile ground. The rise of New Age beliefs, occultism, and new religious movements in the 1990s may have coincided with later resurgences.
Ease of Transmission: The shift from laborious handwritten copies to photocopies, faxes, and especially near-costless, instant digital forwarding (email, SNS) dramatically lowered the barrier to participation, enabling faster and wider spread.

Relationship to Urban Legends

Chain letters often function as vectors for urban legends. The structure "learn this story/break this rule, suffer misfortune unless you pass it on to X people within Y time" is common to both.

In Japan, specific urban legends are thought to be influenced by or derived from Fukou no Tegami:

Kashima-san (カシマさん): A legend popular around 1972 involving a vengeful female ghost (often legless). Hearing the story invites her appearance, but telling it to a certain number of people within a set time (e.g., 3 days) transfers the curse. Early media reports explicitly compared Kashima-san to "Lucky Letters" (likely meaning the Fukou no Tegami type prevalent then), calling it a "word-of-mouth version". Some researchers propose Kashima-san originated as a narrative justification for the misfortune threatened by Fukou no Tegami, which then detached from the physical letter format as it spread orally.
Sacchan (サッちゃん): A late 1990s chain mail legend claiming the popular children's song "Sacchan" has a hidden fourth verse revealing the titular girl died in a train accident in Hokkaido. Learning this verse supposedly brings a curse, avoidable only by telling five people within three hours. (The song's actual lyricist denied this backstory).

The structural similarity—a contagious curse requiring propagation for the host's salvation—strongly suggests these legends adapted the chain letter mechanism.

In popular culture

Chain letters, particularly the Fukou no Tegami type, have appeared in various fictional works, often reflecting societal awareness and anxieties surrounding them.

In Fujiko F. Fujio's manga Doraemon, the 1977 story "Fukou no Tegami Dōkōkai" (不幸の手紙同好会 - Unlucky Letter Fan Club) features Nobita receiving a Fukou no Tegami. Distraught about passing on misfortune, he is helped by Doraemon, who uses a gadget (the "Postal Reverse Detector") to identify the sender (Suneo) and turn the tables. Educational analyses of this story discuss the ethics of chain letters and compare Nobita's distress with Doraemon's dismissal as representing valid responses.
In Fujiko Fujio A's manga Matarō ga Kuru!!, the story "Fukou no Tegami nado Kowakunai!!" (不幸の手紙などこわくない!! - Unlucky Letters Aren't Scary!) sees the bullied protagonist Mataro use supernatural powers to take revenge on the sender. Both Doraemon and Mataro portray bullied children overcoming the letter via extraordinary means, possibly reflecting the authors' own experiences with bullying.
In Jiro Tsunoda's manga Kyōfu Shinbun (恐怖新聞 - Terror Newspaper), the episode "Fukou no Tegami" depicts a boy who sends unlucky letters being punished by a ghost. Notably, while using a supernatural element for retribution, the story strongly dismisses the power of the letters themselves as "lies" and "nonsense", urging readers not to believe in them. Both Fujiko works and Tsunoda's story ultimately condemn the letters and punish those who propagate them, perhaps reflecting the creators' desire to dispel children's fears.
In Fujio Akatsuka's manga Tensai Bakabon, the 1974 story "Fukō no Pīnattsu no Tegami desu no da" (不幸のピーナッツの手紙ですのだ - It's the Unlucky Peanut Letter!) features letters accompanied by peanuts that supposedly cause death if eaten within 48 hours. (The story included a disclaimer that it was fiction and unrelated to any real peanuts, possibly anticipating complaints. Coincidentally, "peanuts" became slang for bribes during the Lockheed bribery scandals two years later).
In Momoko Sakura's manga Chibi Maruko-chan, the story "Maruko Fukō no Tegami o Morau" (まる子不幸の手紙をもらう - Maruko Gets an Unlucky Letter) shows the protagonist terrified after receiving one, until her father dismisses it and tears it up. Given the setting and author's age, this likely reflects experiences from the 1970s boom. Some commentators view the father's direct action as the best real-world response.
The plot device in Koji Suzuki's novel Ring (and its adaptations), where watching a cursed videotape leads to death unless the viewer makes a copy and shows it to someone else, shares the core structure of chain letters: propagation is necessary to escape personal harm. This similarity has been widely noted by critics, and the novel itself makes the comparison. The film's popularity reportedly influenced the framing of "unlucky emails" in the late 1990s, with recipients describing them as "like Ring" and specific "Sadako mail" variants emerging.

=Similar distribution=

Faxlore – distribution of chain-letters or similar material by fax machine

References

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{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=宮沢偵二|date=1972-05-10|title=若干の皮膚疾患に対するDoxepinの使用経験——とくに心身症とみなされる皮膚疾患について|journal=Gendai Iryō|volume=4|issue=5|page=510|publisher=現代医療社|doi=10.11501/3433038|id={{NCID|AN00078413}}}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=死に神引き受け候不幸だソレかけ込め供養した上で焼却処分します|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=Tokyo morning|date=1978-06-20|page=21}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://dailyportalz.jp/kiji/171025201016 |title=圧と執念のすごい「りぼん」同人誌|access-date=2024-09-13|author=石川大樹|date=2017-10-27|website=デイリーポータルZ|publisher=ニフティ}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|title=埼玉県議会史|date=1986-03-25|publisher=埼玉県議会|volume=12|doi=10.11501/9775536|page=1907}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|title=埼玉県議会史|date=1989-03-20|publisher=埼玉県議会|volume=13|doi=10.11501/9776232|page=1602}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|title=上山市史|date=1975-03-25|publisher=上山市|volume=別巻下|doi=10.11501/9536833|page=286}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=名幸芳章|title=沖縄の風習と迷信|date=1971-02-25|publisher=護国寺|doi=10.11501/9769491|page=170}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=名幸芳章|title=沖縄の迷信いざ冠婚葬祭というときのために|date=1981-12-15|publisher=月刊沖縄社|doi=10.11501/12169963|pages=248-249}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1975-02-16|title=三津五郎の死の直前、池上季実子に"不幸の手紙"|journal=週刊明星|volume=18|issue=7|page=179|publisher=集英社}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1975-02-16|title=三津五郎の死の直前、池上季実子に"不幸の手紙"|journal=週刊明星|volume=18|issue=7|page=180|publisher=集英社}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=ロザムンド黒酢|author2=他|title=実話ナックルズGOLDミステリーSP|date=2023-05-15|publisher=大洋図書|volume=1|isbn=978-4-8130-4648-6|page=82}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=古関金子投稿でエール家事しながら暗記不幸の手紙ポイ「朝ドラ」モデル|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=Tokyo evening|date=2020-09-12|page=10}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙破る勇気持て|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=Tokyo morning|date=1978-06-15|author=古関金子|author-link=古関金子|page=5}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙黙殺こそ撃退法他人に出しちゃダメ|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=Tokyo morning|date=1978-06-20|page=20}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/life/online/20220930-SYT8T3337646/ |title=YOL秋の連休チャレンジ「ちょっと前はどうだっけ?」クイズ答え合わせ|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2022-09-30|website=読売新聞オンライン|publisher=Yomiuri Shimbun}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=加藤隆久|author-link1=加藤隆久|title=へそだんご ── 神と人との出合い|date=1978-08-10|publisher=同朋舎|orig-date=1971-03-01|doi=10.11501/12264266|pages=6-7}}

{{Cite web|url=https://gakkenmu.jp/column/17806/ |title=「不幸の手紙」...小学校を襲った「不安の連鎖」|language=ja|access-date=2019-11-24|author=初見健一|date=2018-12-13|website=Mu PLUS|archive-url=https://archive.today/20191124063438/https://gakkenmu.jp/column/17806/ |archive-date=2019-11-24}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=「不幸の手紙」を引き取って招福祈願日向市の幸福神社|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|edition=evening|date=1991-01-30|page=5}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=あなたなら...どうする? 不幸の手紙|newspaper=町だより広報こすど|date=1975-02-01|url=https://opac.niigatacitylib.jp/shisei/koho/akiha/koho_kosudo/1975/750201/pdf/23_4.pdf |format=PDF|access-date=2024-09-13|publisher=Kosudo Town Office|page=6}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|title=滋賀県議会史|date=1997-02-28|publisher=滋賀県議会|volume=11|doi=10.11501/9639961|pages=694-695}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|title=埼玉県議会史|date=1989-03-20|publisher=埼玉県議会|volume=13|doi=10.11501/9776232|page=1604}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=December 1970|title=「不幸の手紙」続々舞い込む|journal=Kōen Jihō|issue=1520|page=16|publisher=Rengo Tsushinsha|id=国立国会図書館書誌ID: [//id.ndl.go.jp/bib/000000007485 000000007485]}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title="不幸の手紙"へ先制永源寺郵便局提供受けて焼却処分|newspaper=Chunichi Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1990-04-24|page=15}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=鳥栖・三養基地区に「不幸の手紙」広がり、苦情殺到|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1990-06-24|page=22}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=住民の要望にこたえ静岡県西部の全郵便局が「不幸の手紙」回収|newspaper=Shizuoka Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1991-12-03|page=21}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=静岡県西部の郵便局が不幸の手紙40通を回収|newspaper=Shizuoka Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1992-01-09|page=22}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1971-02-01|title=宗教界の動き|journal=Daijō|volume=22|issue=2|page=72|publisher=Daijō Kankōkai|doi=10.11501/4415770|id={{NCID|AN00275425}}}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1977-04-01|title=ショートえつ覧|journal=Chūbu Zaikai|volume=20|issue=5|page=80|publisher=Chūbu Zaikai sha|doi=10.11501/2773763|id={{NCID|AA12322305}}}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1977-09-01|title=地方だより|journal=Yūsei|volume=29|issue=9|page=56|doi=10.11501/2809573}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=タムジィまいこ|date=2000-02-01|title=届いた不幸の手紙にビビってるあなたへ...... 不幸の手紙を恐れるな!|journal=散歩の達人|volume=5|issue=2|page=88|publisher=交通新聞社}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=加藤隆久|title=へそだんご ── 神と人との出合い|date=1978-08-10|publisher=同朋舎|orig-date=1971-03-01|doi=10.11501/12264266|pages=4-5}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙、神様が引き取ります日向市の幸福神社|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1990-06-29|page=31}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙引き取ります常福寺が名乗り|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1990-07-11|page=27}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙300通を焼却、日向市・幸福神社|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1990-07-18|page=22}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙など焼却、幸福神社で古神札焚き上げ式|newspaper=Nishinippon Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1992-01-17|page=22}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=「不幸の手紙」にさよなら岐阜県内の郵便局が差し入れ箱|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Nagoya morning|date=1991-10-21|page=23}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=交差点不安を封じ込め不幸の手紙差し出し箱設置した北方郵便局長井上就治さん|newspaper=Chunichi Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1991-11-20|page=16}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙 23日に焼却徳林寺葉書塔で供養回収分|newspaper=Chunichi Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1992-07-15|page=16}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙を焼却葉書塔まつり読経の中、250通|newspaper=Chunichi Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1994-07-24|page=18}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1995-03-31|title=文化短信|journal=Chiiki Shakai|issue=32|page=46|publisher=地域社会研究会|doi=10.11501/1828650|id={{NCID|AN00140812}}}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=竹林寺本堂内で迷子郵便、焼いて供養ふみの日に初めて|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Kochi local|date=2000-07-25|page=24}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=「ふみの日」に手紙供養祭高知市の竹林寺|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Osaka morning|date=1999-07-24|page=31}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1999-08-05|title=社説迷信の打破には勇気を|journal=Rokudai Shinpō|issue=3882|page=1|publisher=六大新報社|doi=10.11501/7944273|id={{NCID|AN00376069}}}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=利根川裕|author-link=利根川裕|date=1976-12-09|title="不幸の手紙"が来たら私のところへ送って!|journal=女性自身|volume=19|issue=46|page=33|publisher=光文社}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=棒の手紙意味不明「あなたに棒が訪れる」不幸の手紙"変異"?|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Tokyo evening|date=1998-05-16|page=15}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=ふれあい広場不幸の手紙来たらあて名に三日月を|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Hyogo local|date=1991-10-22|page=26}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=こちら社会部ギネス便乗の不幸の手紙届く|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=West morning|date=1992-12-12|page=23}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=チェーン・レター罪つくりな独り歩き|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Osaka morning|date=1989-10-22|page=4}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=「カブスカウトがギネスに挑戦」と新手の迷惑はがき|newspaper=Hokkaido Shimbun|edition=All Hokkaido morning|date=1989-05-22|page=25}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=岩倉千春|author2=他|title=幸福のEメール日本の現代伝説|date=1999-12-05|publisher=白水社|isbn=978-4-560-04958-7|page=26}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=吉川祐子|date=December 1998|title=若者の俗信|journal=Shizuoka-ken Minzoku Gakkaishi|issue=19|page=113|publisher=Shizuoka Prefectural Folklore Society|id={{NCID|AN00313808}}|url=https://www.nichibun.ac.jp/cgi-bin/YoukaiDB3/youkai_card.cgi?ID=0890012_008 |access-date=2024-09-13}}

{{Cite web|url=http://kokorohaitsumo15sai.la.coocan.jp/bonotegami.htm |title=これが「棒の手紙」だ!|language=ja|access-date=2019-11-24|author=山本弘|author-link=Hiroshi Yamamoto (writer)|publisher=山本弘のSF秘密基地|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180128025116/http://kokorohaitsumo15sai.la.coocan.jp/bonotegami.htm |archive-date=2018-01-28}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=小池壮彦|date=1998-11-01|title=だれが「不幸の手紙」を始めたか?|journal=Mu|volume=20|issue=11|pages=80-81}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=連載社会部発「不幸」が横書きで変化?「棒の手紙」雑誌編集部などに殺到|newspaper=日刊スポーツ|date=1997-11-21|author=横山元保|page=28}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙まだのさばる名古屋の郵便局が今年も供養|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Nagoya morning|date=1998-07-19|page=25}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=不幸の手紙を供養高知市の竹林寺全国の35通焼却|newspaper=Kochi Shimbun|edition=morning|date=1998-07-24|page=22}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=山本弘|author2=安田均|author3=高井信|title=妖魔夜行しかばね綺譚シェアード・ワールド・ノベルズ|date=1998-11-01|publisher=角川書店|series=角川スニーカー文庫|orig-date=1998-06|isbn=978-4-04-415211-6|page=47}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=「不幸」から変身、今なお巡る「棒の手紙」誤記が定着、そのまま次へ|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=Tokyo morning|date=1997-11-12|page=23}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jp/keigoisashi/bo-no-tegami |title=かつて日本に「不幸の手紙」ならぬ「棒の手紙」が出回ったんじゃ...|access-date=2024-09-13|author=井指啓|date=2016-10-11|publisher=BuzzFeed Japan}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=岩倉千春|author2=他|title=幸福のEメール日本の現代伝説|date=1999-12-05|publisher=白水社|isbn=978-4-560-04958-7|pages=30-31}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1995-08-01|title=早耳・空耳・地獄耳|journal=月刊現代|volume=29|issue=8|page=111|publisher=講談社}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=PHSで「不幸のメール」被害拡大、着信拒否機能も検討|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=West evening|date=1999-09-27|page=10}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=インターネット不幸メール急速にまん延怖がる必要ない、届いたら「削除」|newspaper=Nikkan Sports|date=1999-09-14|page=28}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.dekyo.or.jp/soudan/chain/report/past/060515.html |title=転送状況 2006.05.15|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2006-05-15|publisher=Japan Data Communication Association}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.dekyo.or.jp/soudan/chain/report/past/090521.html |title=転送状況 2009.05.01|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2009-05-01|publisher=Japan Data Communication Association}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.dekyo.or.jp/soudan/chain/report/past/100514.html |title=転送状況 2010.05.14|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2010-05-14|publisher=Japan Data Communication Association}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=朝里樹|title=日本現代怪異事典|date=2018-01-18|publisher=笠間書院|isbn=978-4-305-70859-5|page=116}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=朝里樹|date=2023-04-01|title=朝里樹の都市伝説タイムトリップ 4回チェーンメール|journal=Mu|volume=45|issue=4|pages=42-43|publisher=ワン・パブリッシング}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=朝里樹|title=日本現代怪異事典|date=2018-01-18|publisher=笠間書院|isbn=978-4-305-70859-5|page=228}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1999-09-09|script-title=ja:女子高生に出回る「不幸の高木ブー」|script-journal=ja:週刊新潮|volume=44|issue=34|page=145|publisher=新潮社}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=石橋真理子|date=1999-12-01|title=石橋真理子の"今月のオヤシ"|journal=Kensetsu Geppō|volume=52|issue=12|page=82|publisher=建設広報協議会|doi=10.11501/3361753|id={{NCID|AN10341887}}}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title="不幸のメール"転送書類送検へ|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=West morning|date=2000-08-30|page=31}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=こちら特報部『不幸のチェーンメール』がまん延中学生が狙われる『部活の連絡も携帯で』所有率急増悪質な商法にご用心|newspaper=Chunichi Shimbun|edition=morning|date=2005-07-18|page=22}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://internet.watch.impress.co.jp/cda/news/2005/07/12/8375.html |title=日本データ通信協会、「不幸の手紙」転送用の専用アドレス設置|access-date=2024-09-13|author=津田啓夢|date=2005-07-12|website=INTERNET Watch|publisher=インプレス}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=インターネット版「不幸の手紙」横行平気で残酷な表現子どもの心蝕む|newspaper=Yomiuri Shimbun|edition=Tokyo morning|date=2005-11-11|page=38}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.dekyo.or.jp/soudan/chain/p2.html |title=実態: チェーンメールの調査結果|access-date=2024-09-13|publisher=Japan Data Communication Association}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.dekyo.or.jp/soudan/chain/tensou.html |title=チェーンメールの転送先|access-date=2024-09-13|date=April 2022|publisher=Japan Data Communication Association}}

{{Cite book|language=ja |script-title=ja:小学生から知っておきたいネットのルールネットの安全な使い方を身につけよう!|date=2021-12-21|publisher=新星出版社|series=はっぴーSTUDY!|isbn=978-4-405-01262-2|page=103}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO37685410T11C18A1000000/ |title=転送しないと不幸に? 恐怖のメール（平成のアルバム）チェーンメール|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2018-11-17|website=Nihon Keizai Shimbun|publisher=日本経済新聞社}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://toyokeizai.net/articles/-/121159?page=2 |title=女子高生がLINEでひたすらやっていること｢不幸の手紙」は健在、「ブロック大会」も!|access-date=2024-09-13|author=鈴木朋子|date=2016-06-04|page=2|website=東洋経済オンライン|publisher=東洋経済新報社}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=鈴木朋子|date=2018-10-08|title=大人も知っておきたいイマドキの若者IT事情〜今はLINEで行われる「不幸の手紙」|journal=日経パソコン|issue=803|page=1|publisher=日経BP|id={{NCID|AA11678396}}|url=https://project.nikkeibp.co.jp/pc/atcl/19/08/28/00031/083100007/ |access-date=2024-09-13}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.shimotsuke.co.jp/articles/-/793188 |title=取材班に届いた不幸のチェーンメール 10年前から続く拡散転送は「デマの共犯者」になる恐れ|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2023-09-21|website=Shimotsuke Shimbun "SOON" News|publisher=下野新聞社}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.koukouseishinbun.jp/articles/-/10588 |title=現代版不幸の手紙「チェーンLINE」中高生の8割が経験、規制できない理由は|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2023-11-01|website=Kōkōsei Shimbun Online|publisher=株式会社スクールパートナーズ}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://japan.cnet.com/article/35211710/ |title=中高生に流行る「チェーンLINE」の実態と対処法--不幸の手紙、チェーンメールは現在も|access-date=2024-09-13|author=高橋暁子|date=2023-11-18|website=CNET Japan|publisher=朝日インタラクティブ株式会社}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/60becef2b838176c9cc4828bbe41a01206093ed3 |title=LINEデビューの子どもが巻き込まれる「不幸の手紙」に注意|access-date=2024-09-13|author=鈴木朋子|date=2022-05-09|website=Yahoo!ニュース|publisher=LINEヤフー}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://ftnews.jp/ltn/17655075 |title=「令和版、不幸の手紙キタァーー!!」【中1娘のLINEがヤバい】100人以上のLINEグループに参加すると?|access-date=2024-09-13|author=ききた|date=2023-09-25|website=fashion trend news|publisher=ファッションニュース通信社}}

{{Cite web|url=https://gendai.media/articles/-/90954?page=5 |title=「このメールを10人以上に送らないと...」不幸の手紙が「チェーンメール」に変わるまで|language=ja|access-date=2024-09-13|author=朝里樹|date=2022-01-09|page=5|website=マネー現代}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://internet.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/column/dlis/1575501.html |title=チェーンメールで有名だった「神の手雲」が15年ぶりにLINEで回ってきた|access-date=2024-09-13|author=DLIS・柳谷智宣|date=2024-03-15|website=INTERNET Watch}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=丸山泰明|date=2022-09-30|script-title=ja:「不幸の手紙」は忘れた頃にやってくる - 100年史の研究に向けて|script-journal=ja:非文字資料研究センター News Letter|issue=48|page=20|publisher=神奈川大学日本常民文化研究所|id={{NCID|AA12764799}}|url=https://kanagawa-u.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/15255 |format=PDF|access-date=2024-09-13}}

{{Cite book|author1=ASIOS|author-link1=ASIOS|title=謎解き超常現象|date=2019-05-01|publisher=彩図社|isbn=978-4-8013-0362-1|page=102}}

{{Cite web|url=https://www.itmedia.co.jp/enterprise/articles/0803/21/news044.html |title=神の手雲メールに注意マルウェア感染の可能性も|language=ja|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2008-03-21|website=ITmedia Enterprise|publisher=アイティメディア}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=浜田奈美|date=2008-03-24|title=都市伝説と化したメール画像「神の手雲」の正体|journal=AERA|volume=21|issue=13|page=58|publisher=朝日新聞出版}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.j-cast.com/2021/02/05404502.html |title=芸能人も「願いが叶う」と拡散ふたたび注目された「神の手雲」画像は何が危険なのか|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2021-02-05|pages=1-2|website=J-CASTニュース|publisher=ジェイ・キャスト}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://numan.tokyo/words/iikoto/ |title=#令和のネット用語集いいことが起きる音源|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2023-07-29|website=numan|publisher=マレ}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://www.excite.co.jp/news/article/Numan_iikoto/ |title=いいことが起きる音源|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2023-07-29|website=エキサイトニュース}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://jocr.jp/raditopi/2023/12/14/545178/ |title=TikTokで流行「#いいことが起こる音源」令和時代の"チェーンメール"、新たなカタチとは?|access-date=2024-09-13|author=弘松メイ|date=2023-12-14|website=ラジトピラジオ関西トピックス|publisher=ラジオ関西}}

{{Cite press release|language=ja|title=【2023年春! 高校生最新トレンドランキング】全15項目! 流行語や話題の食べ物、ポーズなどを発表! ネクストトレンドでは入選コメントも掲載! 渋谷トレンドリサーチ2023年春の特大号|publisher=ING|date=2023-04-06|url=https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000073.000026876.html |access-date=2024-09-13}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=丸山泰明|date=2012-03-30|script-title=ja:「幸運の手紙」についての一考察|script-journal=ja:国立歴史民俗博物館研究報告|issue=174|page=316|publisher=国立歴史民俗博物館|url=https://rekihaku.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/2058|doi=10.15024/00002041|id={{NCID|AN00377607}}|access-date=2023-08-18}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|pages=174-175}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=辻村明|title=大衆現象を解く|date=1984-11-20|publisher=講談社|series=講談社現代新書|doi=10.11501/12128204|isbn=978-4-06-145751-5|page=124}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=朝里樹|title=日本現代怪異事典|date=2018-01-18|publisher=笠間書院|isbn=978-4-305-70859-5|page=89}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=朝里樹|title=日本現代怪異事典|date=2018-01-18|publisher=笠間書院|isbn=978-4-305-70859-5|page=91}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|pages=170-171}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=松山ひろし|date=2023-12-28|title=シリーズ新・都市伝説の女その存在を知ると3日以内に足をもがれる「カシマさん」の呪い"不幸の手紙"発祥説を追う傷痍軍人、千日デパートビル火災呪いを紐解くカギは1972年だった|journal=実話ナックルズ|volume=22|issue=1|page=55|publisher=大洋図書}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|page=208}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|date=1972-08-14|title=広がる化神魔サマの呪い|journal=平凡パンチ|volume=9|issue=34|page=56|publisher=平凡出版}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=ASIOS|author-link1=ASIOS|author2=廣田龍平|title=謎解き「都市伝説」|date=2022-12-21|publisher=彩図社|isbn=978-4-8013-0635-6|page=201}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|page=169}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=現代っ子「カシマ」にビクビクまことしやかなユウレイ話糸魚川悪質ないたずら? 授業に響く|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Niigata morning|date=1972-10-11|page=17}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|page=190}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=朝里樹|title=日本現代怪異事典|date=2018-01-18|publisher=笠間書院|isbn=978-4-305-70859-5|page=171}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=童謡サッちゃんに会えるかなゆかりの幼稚園に詩碑野|newspaper=Mainichi Shimbun|edition=Osaka evening|date=2006-10-13|author=遠藤孝康|page=15}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|page=191}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=松山ひろし|title=カシマさんを追う呪いの都市伝説|date=2004-11-25|publisher=アールズ出版|isbn=978-4-901226-85-1|page=192}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author=藤子・F・不二雄|author-link=Fujiko F. Fujio|others=岸圭介 (supervisor)|title=ドラえもん四年生|date=2019-04-29|publisher=小学館|series=学年別ドラえもん名作選|isbn=978-4-09-296678-9|pages=90-91}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author=藤子・F・不二雄|others=岸圭介 (supervisor)|title=ドラえもん四年生|date=2019-04-29|publisher=小学館|series=学年別ドラえもん名作選|isbn=978-4-09-296678-9|page=92}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=藤子不二雄Ⓐ|author-link1=Fujiko Fujio A|title=魔太郎がくる!!|date=2011-10-05|publisher=小学館|series=My First BIG SPECIAL|volume=魔物|isbn=978-4-09-107456-0|page=220}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author=つのだじろう|author-link=つのだじろう|title=恐怖新聞|date=1974-10-10|publisher=秋田書店|series=少年チャンピオンコミックス|volume=4|isbn=978-4-253-03138-7|pages=72-73}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author=つのだじろう|title=恐怖新聞|date=1974-10-10|publisher=秋田書店|series=少年チャンピオンコミックス|volume=4|isbn=978-4-253-03138-7|pages=10-11}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|editor1=バカ田大学しあわせ研究部|title=天才バカボン幸福論。夜のつぎは朝なのだ。|date=2010-03-10|publisher=主婦の友社|isbn=978-4-07-270892-7|page=35}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=赤塚不二夫|author-link1=赤塚不二夫|title=天才バカボン|date=1996-07-13|publisher=竹書房|series=竹書房文庫|isbn=978-4-8124-0153-8|pages=83-84}}

{{Cite news|language=ja|title=田中時代とは何だったか元首相逮捕10年、新人議員らに聞く|newspaper=Asahi Shimbun|edition=Tokyo evening|date=1986-07-22|page=3}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://book.mynavi.jp/ebooks/detail_summary/id=47317 |title=昭和りゅこうごグラフィティ第3巻【第08回】昭和51年（1976）|access-date=2024-09-13|date=2016-03-14|website=マイナビブックス|publisher=Mynavi}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author=さくらももこ|author-link=さくらももこ|title=ちびまる子ちゃん|date=1991-10-20|publisher=集英社|series=りぼんマスコットコミックス|volume=8|isbn=978-4-08-853584-5|pages=108-109}}

{{Cite web|language=ja|url=https://news.mynavi.jp/article/jiryu_hyoryu-197/ |title=令和にリバイバルする「不幸の手紙」、対抗策はあの名作にあった|access-date=2024-09-13|author=カレー沢薫|author-link=カレー沢薫|date=2022-05-23|website=マイナビニュース|publisher=Mynavi}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=東雅夫|author-link1=東雅夫|author2=他|title=怖い話の本|date=1996-07-14|publisher=宝島社|series=別冊宝島|isbn=978-4-7966-9268-7|page=77}}

{{Cite web|url=https://gendai.media/articles/-/90954?page=4 |title=「このメールを10人以上に送らないと...」不幸の手紙が「チェーンメール」に変わるまで|language=ja|access-date=2024-09-13|author=朝里樹|date=2022-01-09|page=4|website=マネー現代}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=一柳廣孝|author-link1=一柳廣孝|author2=吉田司雄|author-link2=吉田司雄|title=ホラー・ジャパネスクの現在|date=2005-11-23|publisher=青弓社|series=ナイトメア叢書|isbn=978-4-7872-9178-3|page=81}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=斎藤喬|date=2024-01-31|script-title=ja:ホラーと宗教リテラシー鈴木光司『リング』にみる憑依と供養|script-journal=ja:現代宗教|issue=2024|pages=266-267|publisher=国際宗教研究所|id={{NCID|AA11546883}}|url=https://www.iisr.jp/journal/journal2024/P247-P269.pdf |format=PDF |access-date=2024-09-13}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=中条省平|author-link1=中条省平|title=名刀中条スパパパパン!!!|date=2003-11-01|publisher=春風社|isbn=978-4-921146-90-0|pages=12-13}}

{{Cite journal|language=ja|author=朝宮運河|date=2023-09-01|title=澤村伊智が手繰り寄せる、活字に宿る怪異。|journal=BRUTUS|volume=44|issue=16|page=63|publisher=マガジンハウス}}

{{Cite book|language=ja|author1=鈴木光司|author-link1=鈴木光司|title=Ring|date=1993-04-24|publisher=角川書店|series=角川ホラー文庫|orig-date=1991-06|isbn=978-4-04-188001-2|page=110}}

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External links

[http://www.snopes.com/luck/chain.asp A discussion of the history and various types of chain letters] (from Snopes.com)
[http://www.silcom.com/~barnowl/chain-letter/archive/me1935-05-10br!_sd_note.htm An example of a "Send-a-dime" letter]
[http://www.breakthechain.org/ Break the chain] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090909072731/http://breakthechain.org/ |date=2009-09-09 }}
[https://carryiton.net/chain-letter/evolution.html Chain Letter Evolution], Daniel W. VanArsdale. A historical analysis, including an archive of actual letters.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20170623040227/http://www.dogoodgauge.org/site/DoGoodGauge/ptf_comments/add/ Pay the Thought Forward]
[http://www.cs.rutgers.edu/~watrous/chain-letters.html What's wrong with chain letters?]
[https://www.dekyo.or.jp/soudan/chain/index.html Chain Mail Information Page] (from Japan Data Communication Association) {{In lang|ja}}