What Is Mole Reading? What People Have Read in the Small Marks They Cannot Choose

When you look in the mirror, a small black dot catches your eye. One under an eye, one at the corner of the mouth, one hidden behind an earlobe. Almost everyone has moles on their body, yet where they are and how many there are differ entirely from person to person. And strangely, we can’t help searching those small dots for meaning. “They say people with a beauty mark under the eye cry easily.” “A mole by the mouth means you’ll never go hungry.” Many of you have probably heard sayings like these somewhere. The practice of trying to read personality and the flow of fortune from the position, color, and sheen of moles is mole reading, or hokuro fortune-telling.

Our free fortune-telling tool, the Mole Reading, is a simple reading that requires no photo: you just choose the locations of your moles from a diagram of the face and a list for the body, and it shows how each position has been read in physiognomy lore. In this article, besides how to use the tool and worked examples, we trace the history of it all: how the culture of reading moles passed from China to Japan, how the physiognomists of Edo handled it, and why in Europe, across the sea, a fashion arose of “sticking on moles yourself.”

First, two important points. One: mole reading is not a scientifically proven method. Two: a mole is part of your skin, and a mole whose look or size has been changing is something to consult a dermatologist about, not a fortune-teller. Use the words of fortune-telling as a chance to cherish your own body, and leave matters of the body to experts of the body.

When a technical term appears, we rephrase it in a quote box marked “Put simply.” If something feels difficult, you can skim just those boxes. Later in the article we have also added our own original reflections, which go beyond summarizing history.

Key Points (a 3-minute summary)

• Mole reading is a form of fortune-telling that reads tendencies of personality and fortune from the position, color, and sheen of moles on the face and body. It developed as part of Chinese physiognomy (the art of reading a person’s fate from the face and build) and was also passed on to Japan.
• In China, physiognomy manuals such as the “Mayi Xiangfa” (Japanese: Mai Sōhō), said to have been completed around the Song period, and the “Shenxiang Quanbian” (Japanese: Shinsō Zenpen), compiled in the Ming period, became the foundation of later physiognomy. There are various theories about the authorship and circumstances of each.
• In Japan, physiognomists were active in the Edo period, and among them Mizuno Nanboku is known for his “Nanboku Sōhō.” However, Nanboku is said to have linked most facial moles with bad luck, and the good or bad fortune of moles differs greatly from one manual to another.
• Around the Heian period, the mole was called “hahakuso,” and there is a theory that it was thought to be a “dregs” marked on the body in the mother’s womb. In Europe, on the other hand, “beauty patches,” cut out of silk or velvet, were a huge fad in the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Our tool needs no photo upload. Choose the location of your moles from 30 places on a face diagram and 22 on the body, and it shows the meaning of each location, the number of positions said to bring good fortune, and a note about color and sheen.
• For moles that suddenly grow, have an irregular shape, are mottled in color, or bleed, see a dermatologist, not a fortune-teller. Our site recommends neither removing nor keeping a mole on the basis of fortune-telling.

What Is Mole Reading? Reading the “Marks You Can’t Choose”

Mole reading is a fortune-telling that reads a person’s personality, flow of fortune, and connections with others from the position, size, color, and sheen of the moles on their body. It is sometimes spoken of as an independent kind of fortune-telling, but originally it was treated as one item within “physiognomy” (kansō-gaku), which looks at the face as a whole. The idea is that there is a physiognomic map of what each position on the face represents, and that the mole, a “mark,” falls on top of that map.

In physiognomy, the face is divided into fine sections, and each is assigned a meaning. For example, the center of the forehead is called “tenchū” and is the entrance of fortune; the space between the eyebrows is called “indō” and is where willpower and wishes gather; the chin is called “chikaku” and reflects the foundation of one’s life and later years. Mole reading looks at which section a mole is in and reads it as strengthening or shaking the meaning of that section.

What makes mole reading a little different from other fortune-telling is that you cannot choose the material to be read. In that respect it is the same as your date of birth, which you cannot choose either, but a mole is visible, can be touched with a finger, and can also increase or fade over the years. It is a mark that you are born with, and also one that changes. This quality of being a kind of “map of a moving fate” gives mole reading its distinctive flavor.

Put simply, mole reading is “a fortune-telling in which you think about your own personality and tendencies of fortune, using as clues where the moles are on your face and body.” It helps to think of it as placing a marker, the mole, on the face map of physiognomy and reading it.

The History of Mole Reading, Part 1: Chinese Physiognomy and the “Mayi Xiangfa”

The beginnings of the art of reading fate from the face

The art of reading a person’s fate from the face and build has been talked about in China since very ancient times. According to dictionary explanations, it is said to have begun when a man named Shufu of the Spring and Autumn period (Eastern Zhou) compiled a method of physiognomy as a new way to foresee good and ill fortune, and it is told that Tang Ju of the Warring States period added a method of observing the color and sheen of the face (kishoku) and nearly completed the form of physiognomy. However, these are genealogies mixed with legend, and how much of it is historical fact is unknown.

What matters is that physiognomy valued not only “form” but also “color and sheen” from an early stage. Even in the same position and same shape, the reading changes depending on whether there is a sheen or it is dull. This idea also connects to the distinction between “living moles and dead moles” introduced later.

Mayi Xiangfa: a classic manual under a borrowed name

Indispensable in discussing Chinese physiognomy is the “Mayi Xiangfa” (Japanese: Mai Sōhō). It is described as a method said to have been transmitted by the hermit “Mayi Daozhe” (Mai Dōja), who wore a hemp robe, and as having been completed around the period from the Five Dynasties to the Song. It is a system that estimates good and ill fortune, nobility and lowliness, and lifespan from clues such as the features of the face, the five sense organs (eyes, nose, mouth, ears, eyebrows), bone structure, complexion, physique, and even the lines of the hand.

However, whether a person called Mayi Daozhe actually wrote it is unclear. Chinese dictionaries too explain that later people compiled it under the name of Mayi Daozhe (borrowing his name). There is also a tradition that Chen Tuan, who was granted the title “Xiyi” by Emperor Taizong of Song, spread to the world, as a disciple of Mayi Daozhe, the method of physiognomy that had until then been kept secret.

Later, in the Ming period, the “Shenxiang Quanbian” (Shinsō Zenpen) was compiled by Yuan Zhongche and others, and is said to have brought Chinese physiognomy together. Many of the physiognomy manuals read in Japan were also influenced by this line.

Are moles “good” or “bad”?

In the Chinese tradition of physiognomy, it is said that facial moles are generally viewed with caution. A mole in an important section lined up along the center line of the face (the line running from forehead to nose, mouth, and chin) is regarded warily as something that hinders the function of that section, while one that is glossy black like lacquer or reddish like vermilion is said to be a good mole. Just as much as “where it is,” “what color it is” was emphasized.

Put simply, Chinese physiognomy is made of two pillars: a “map that divides the face into sections” and an “eye for color and sheen.” Mole reading grew as an art of reading the black dots that fall on that map, color and sheen included. The “Mayi Xiangfa” is like a classic textbook of physiognomy, published under the borrowed name of a legendary hermit.

The History of Mole Reading, Part 2: Arrival in Japan and “Hahakuso”

The age of the sōnin, the physiognomists

The art of reading faces is thought to have come to Japan through exchange with the continent, in the same way as Buddhism, the calendar, and medicine. Some dictionary explanations say physiognomy was brought in the era of the Japanese embassies to Sui and Tang China, but the exact time and route are unclear.

Physiognomists also appear in Heian-period literature. The best known is the opening “Kiritsubo” chapter of “The Tale of Genji.” A Korean (Koma) physiognomist visiting the capital looks at the face of the young Hikaru Genji and makes a strange prophecy to the effect that he has the marks of an emperor, but if he were to become one, the country might fall into disorder. This prophecy leads to the decision to lower Genji from the imperial family to the status of a subject. Though it is an event in a story, it shows that for the aristocrats of the time, a physiognomist’s words were taken as something that could shape a person’s life.

“Hahakuso”: a mark made in the mother’s womb

Here, let us look at the word “mole” itself. Today we say “hokuro,” but in old Japanese it was called “hahakuso.” According to the “Nihon Kokugo Daijiten,” the oldest example of “hahakuso” goes back to a commentary on a Buddhist text from the mid-ninth century, and the Heian-period dictionary “Wamyō Ruijushō” is also said to have an entry reading the character for mole as “hahakuso.”

As for its etymology, a theory found in dictionaries is that it combines “haha” (mother) and “kuso” (dregs, waste), and that it was thought to be “dregs” that stuck to the body while it was in the mother’s womb. Afterward, in the medieval period, the form “hahakuro” appeared, and by around the Muromachi period it is explained to have changed to “hāguro” and “hokuro.” The form “hokuso” also remains.

In the Kamakura-period tale collection “Uji Shūi Monogatari,” there is said to be a story in which a mother tried to rely on a mole on the hip as a mark for recognizing her child, but the twin had a mole in the same place and it was of no use. It conveys that the mole was regarded as a mark, from birth, “that belongs to this child alone.”

Put simply, it seems that the people of old Japan thought of moles as something like “dirt left in the mother’s belly.” There are various theories about the etymology, but it seems certain that a mole was felt to be “a mark you already have before you are born.”

Mizuno Nanboku, physiognomist of Edo

In the Edo period, physiognomists became popular among townspeople too, and well-known ones appeared. The representative is Mizuno Nanboku. He is said to have been born around 1760 (Hōreki 10) and to have died in 1834 (Tenpō 5), and is said to have been born in Osaka. However, his exact birth year and parents are not known.

In his youth, Nanboku is said to have described himself as a “ruffian,” and the story is widely told that after spending his days in drink and fights he ended up in prison. There is also an anecdote that, after being told by someone that “the mark of death is on you,” he moderated his eating, survived, and entered the path of physiognomy. How much is true is unknown, but there is an explanation that the art of physiognomy itself was passed to him by a Shingon Buddhist priest.

It is said that in order to study physiognomy, Nanboku worked at a hairdresser’s stall (barbershop), a bathhouse, and a crematorium, and observed the faces and bodies of many people. At the hairdresser’s he saw heads and faces, at the bathhouse whole bodies, and at the crematorium the skeletons of the dead. From the observations he piled up he wrote the “Nanboku Sōhō,” and further preached the teaching of “moderate eating” (sessoku), that fortune opens by restraining what you eat. It is the idea that eating less and eating meals suited to your station shapes your fate more than your physiognomy does.

What is interesting is Nanboku’s attitude toward moles. According to encyclopedia explanations, Nanboku is said to have linked bad fortune with all the moles at key points on the face. On the other hand, some manuals say that even a mole in the center of the forehead is “auspicious if it is at tenchū,” and the physiognomic evaluation of moles can even be the exact opposite depending on the book. That the encyclopedia summarizes that the good or ill of moles “is not settled” is a very honest attitude.

Put simply, Mizuno Nanboku was an Edo physiognomist who “studied physiognomy by going around looking at people’s faces and bodies at the barbershop, bathhouse, and crematorium.” However, Nanboku is said to have viewed moles severely, and even the places called “lucky moles” in today’s mole reading were treated as unlucky in some books. The good or bad of moles has never been settled as one thing.

The History of Mole Reading, Part 3: The “Beauty Patch” of Europe

The “fly” you stick on for fun

It was not only East Asia that found meaning in moles. In Europe there was a view that saw a natural mole as a mark of beauty that sets off white skin, and in English it is called a “beauty mark” or “beauty spot.” It is also said that in Roman times there was a custom of marking the face in honor of Venus, the goddess of beauty.

What turned it into a great fad was France and England in the 17th and 18th centuries. People stuck on the face a “patch,” a small cutout of silk, velvet, or paper. In French it was called a “mouche” (fly). The look of a black dot resting on skin painted white was probably likened to a fly. Shapes were not only round but were said to include playful ones such as stars, moons, and hearts, and even small decorative boxes to hold them were made.

It is also said that patches had a practical reason. In those days many people were left with marks on the face from diseases such as smallpox, and one theory is that patches were stuck on to hide the marks. However, there is also the point that a few small dots could not have hidden them fully, so that does not seem to be the only reason for the fashion.

Where you put it became “words”

What is interesting is that meanings came to be attached to the positions of patches. Accounts from people at the time say that a patch at the corner of the mouth was playful, on the cheek was a sign inviting a flirtation, and beside the eye was a sign that you were in love. It is said that each location even had a name: near the lips was “coquette” (alluring), and at the temple was “assassin” (a killer, that is, a charmer who overwhelms). In England there is even a story that whether you placed it on the right or left of your face showed which political party you supported.

Of course, there was also a backlash against such a flashy fad. In mid-17th-century England, there is said to have been a movement to ban patches as immoral. Even so, patches were loved for a long time, by men and women alike and regardless of rank. Even in the 20th century, the sense that “mole = mark of beauty” has been inherited, for example in the way a movie star’s mole by the mouth is spoken of as a symbol of charm.

Put simply, in old Europe, people enjoyed moles as “a fashion you stick on yourself.” And because the position conveyed a message, it was a little like mole reading in enjoying the “meaning of position.” The difference is that Japanese mole reading “reads the marks you were born with,” while the beauty patch was “sticking on the self you want to be.”

The Basics of Mole Reading: How to Read the Main Facial Positions

From here we introduce the main positions dealt with in our mole reading and their traditional readings. Our tool contains explanations for 30 places on the face and 22 on the body. What follows is a summary in our own words based on that data. The reading of any position is a folk saying or a general interpretation from physiognomy, and does not decide your personality or fate.

Left and right are “from your own point of view”

Left and right in mole reading turn out to be surprisingly confusing. In our tool, all left and right are unified as “from your own point of view.” That is, the side where your right hand is counts as “right.” Because the face diagram in the tool is drawn as if you were looking at the face of someone facing you, a mole on your right side comes out toward the left in the diagram. When choosing while looking in a mirror, left and right are reversed between the image in the mirror and the diagram, so if you are unsure, it is safest to actually touch the mole with your right hand and then choose.

Forehead and eyebrows: the entrance of fortune, and where the will gathers

• Center of the forehead: the place called “tenchū” in physiognomy, the entrance of fortune. It is said to represent the ability to see ahead and original ideas, and is read as fortune opening the more you carve your own path. On our site it is classed on the “brings good fortune” side.
• Right and left of the forehead: the right side from your view is said to represent drive that goes outward, the left concentration and a spirit of inquiry that go inward. What is interesting is that even on the same forehead, the direction is reversed by side.
• Between the eyebrows: called “indō,” where wishes and energy gather. Strength of will and a stubbornness that easily takes on everything alone are said to be two sides of the same coin. On our site it is classed on the “points to watch” side.
• Within the eyebrow: a mole hidden by eyebrow hair has long been regarded as auspicious. The right eyebrow is read as connected to ties with siblings and companions, and the left eyebrow to family fortune.

Around the eyes: the beauty mark and the “popularity mark”

The most famous in mole reading is probably the “beauty mark under the eye” (nakibokuro, literally “crying mole”). It is said to represent being easily moved to tears and strong sensitivity, and our site reads it differently: under the right eye from your own view is a person who feels others’ pain as their own, and under the left eye is a person devoted in love with a touch of melancholy allure. For both we add that, while kindness is their charm, they should also watch for being easily worn out by sympathetic tears and by giving too much.

A mole at the outer corner of the eye is often called a “popularity mole” (mote-bokuro) and is regarded as a symbol of sociability and a glamor that attracts people. A mole at the inner corner is devoted, deep affection; the eyelid (between the eyebrow and eye) is, in physiognomy, the place of home and wealth called “dentaku-kyū,” and a distinct mole there is read as ties with home and assets. From the tip of the outer corner toward the temple is said to reflect ties of romance and marriage, and it is said that while there are many encounters, an eye for judging the other person is important.

Nose and cheeks: the flow of wealth and the circle of people

• Base of the nose: called “sankon,” a place representing life’s turning points. It is regarded as a sign that changes in circumstances tend to pile up, so it is advised not to overpack your schedule.
• Middle of the bridge of the nose: a place that reflects the fortune of one’s prime years, said to represent a strong sense of responsibility at work.
• Tip of the nose: a place symbolizing wealth. It is said to represent glamorous charm and generosity, while also being read as having a purse that loosens easily.
• Nostril wings: called “kinkō,” a place reflecting the flow of money. Said to be a mark of earning power and spending power coexisting.
• Above the cheekbone, center of the cheek, above the nasolabial line: the high part of the cheekbone is said to represent the ability to stand above others, the fullness of the cheek friendliness and popularity, and above the nasolabial line a responsible role and caring nature.

Mouth and chin: the “eating mole” and the foundation of later years

Moles near the mouth are, in mole reading too, particularly likely to be linked with “fortune.” A mole right beside the corner of the mouth has long been called a “food mole” (kui-bokuro) and regarded as a sign of good fortune, never lacking food. The area of the “jinchū,” the groove below the nose, is also read as a place reflecting fortune in food and clothing, a physiognomy of not being in want of food. The upper lip is said to represent expressiveness in words and affection, the lower lip the talent to savor food and pleasures to the full, and below the mouth a physiognomy in which ties broaden with changes in home and life.

The chin is called “chikaku,” a place that reflects the foundation of life and later years. A mole at the tip of the chin is said to show a physiognomy in which life settles as you age, and a mole at the side of the chin (the jaw) to represent tenacity and a strong attachment that makes it easy to miss the moment to withdraw.

Ears: the lucky mole

A mole on the earlobe is also called a “lucky mole” (fuku-bokuro) and is regarded as an auspicious mark, blessed with wealth and benefits from others. A mole on the rim of the ear is a mark of intelligence that listens well and grasps information quickly. A mole just in front of the ear canal is said to represent blessings inherited from parents and family lines.

Put simply, the moles on the face most often linked with “fortune” are, if anything, in “inconspicuous places” or “places tied to eating,” such as the earlobe (lucky mole), beside the corner of the mouth (food mole), and within the eyebrow. In contrast, the central line of the face (between the eyebrows, base of the nose, tip of the nose) is often read with a note of caution.

How to Read Moles on the Body

Mole reading is not only for the face. In our tool, you can choose from a list of 22 places on the body, from the neck to the soles of the feet. Many body moles are in places that are hard to see yourself, and they are read a little differently from the face.

• Neck: the throat (front of the neck) is said to represent the power to move people’s hearts with voice and words, and the nape (back of the neck) a hidden charm that even the person does not notice.
• Shoulders: the right shoulder from your own view is said to represent a large capacity to bear responsibility in society, and the left shoulder the kindness to shoulder family and those close to you. For the left shoulder, a note is added, cautioning about the side that cannot refuse requests.
• Chest: around the collarbone is said to be glamor that catches the eye, the center of the chest great ambition and warmth of feeling, and the left and right of the upper chest a physiognomy of pouring out affection and being cherished as much in return.
• Back and waist: the upper back is a physiognomy of being supported in unseen ways, the center of the back a hidden capable person quietly storing strength, and the waist tenacity to settle down and work.
• Arms and hands: the upper arm is said to represent independence that opens its own way, the elbow the power to draw turning points to yourself, the wrist manual dexterity and earning power, the palm a rare mark of “grasping luck,” the back of the hand a heart that uses dexterity for others, and the fingers a sense of giving form to innate talent.
• Belly: around the navel is solid fortune with money and a generous embrace. The flank is a physiognomy of good attention to others, and of a tendency to be tense because of it.
• Legs and feet: the thigh is said to represent charm that draws people and drive, the knee humility and perseverance, the ankle the footwork to move lightly and broaden ties, and the sole a mark of strong luck that treads firmly on the earth.

Body mole readings share a tendency: “the less visible the place, the more it represents strength that even the person does not notice.” That moles on the nape or back are read as “hidden charm” or “unseen support” is typical. Precisely because you cannot see them yourself, the meaning of knowing yourself through others’ eyes seems to be layered on.

Reading Color and Sheen: “Living Moles” and “Dead Moles”

In mole reading, not only position but also color and sheen are valued. In physiognomy, a black, glossy mole is called a “living mole” (iki-bokuro), and is thought to make the meaning of its position work strongly. Conversely, a mole that looks pale and dull is popularly called a “dead mole” (shini-bokuro), and has been read as making its meaning work modestly, or as stalling the flow.

The name “dead mole” sounds rather ominous. But it does not mean a mark that foretells “death.” On our site we gently introduce this distinction as a difference in “whether the meaning comes out strongly or modestly.” Having a dull mole does not make it a sign of bad luck. We also display a note conveying this on the result screen of the tool.

There is one more thing we would like you to remember. The color and sheen of a mole also look different depending on how light falls, the condition of your skin, and your age. In the world of fortune-telling, changes in color and sheen are sometimes read as “changes in fortune,” but in real skin, changes such as “color unevenness has appeared” or “the shape has been changing” are also signs to consult a dermatologist about. Please keep enjoying color and sheen as fortune-telling separate from paying attention to changes in your body. We explain this point in detail in the cautions in the latter half.

Put simply, a “living mole” is a black, glossy, healthy-looking mole, and a “dead mole” is a pale, dull one. The names are scary, but they do not mean ill omen; it is fine to think of it as a difference of about “whether the fortune-telling meaning comes out strongly or modestly.”

How to Use Our Mole Reading

From here we explain accurately how our tool actually works. Knowing the mechanism makes it easier to gauge how to read the result.

What it uses: no photos needed

All you use are your own eyes and, if needed, a mirror. There is no need to upload a photo. There is also no mechanism to send or store images of your face or body, so even if you are reluctant to show your face photo to anyone, you can try it casually. You are not asked to enter a date of birth or the like either.

For the face, press the dots on the diagram

For facial moles, you press the dots on the face diagram shown on screen. The dots correspond to 30 positions, divided into the areas of forehead, eyebrows, eyes, nose, cheeks, mouth, chin, and ears. Places where left and right are distinguished, such as “inside the right eyebrow” and “under the left eye,” are separate dots. On the other hand, places that do not distinguish left and right, such as “outer corner of the eye,” “temple,” and “earlobe,” have dots on both sides of the face, so you can press the dot on the side where your mole is.

For the body, choose from the list

For moles on the body, you choose from a list of 22 places arranged in the order of neck, shoulders, chest, back, arms, hands, belly, legs, and feet. You can choose several places at once, so please choose as many as you like of the moles you care about, combining face and body.

What appears on the result screen

• The meaning of each place you chose: for each place, a one-line phrase describing the personality or tendency of fortune for that position, and an explanation of about two or three sentences. Some places have long-standing names, such as “beauty mark under the eye” and “lucky mole.”
• The number of positions said to bring good fortune: the number of traditionally auspicious positions among the places you chose.
• A note about color and sheen: text that gently introduces the “living mole” and “dead mole” distinction, and conveys that a dull mole is not a sign of bad luck, and that moles that suddenly grow, are irregular in shape, or are mottled in color should be brought to a dermatologist.

In our data, we divide the 52 explanations into three by the direction of the reading: “positions said to bring good fortune,” “positions that can go either way,” and “positions read with a point to watch.” Of the 52 places in all, 21 are positions said to bring good fortune, 25 are positions that can go either way, and 6 are positions read with a note of caution. Even for positions labeled “points to watch,” we always end the explanation with advice on “how to make things go well.”

Examples: Reading A’s and B’s Moles with the Tool

Here we look at what is actually displayed, with made-up “A” and “B” using the tool (neither is a real person).

A’s case: a beauty mark and a mole by the mouth

A has a small mole under the left eye from A’s own view, one right beside the corner of the mouth, and one on an earlobe. A also noticed a mole on the wrist. On the face diagram A chooses the three dots “under the left eye,” “beside the corner of the mouth,” and “earlobe,” and on the body list “wrist.”

• Under the left eye (beauty mark): a person devoted in love with a touch of melancholy allure. The content shown is that they give so much when they fall in love that putting their own feelings into words keeps a romance lasting.
• Beside the corner of the mouth (food mole): a physiognomy of good fortune blessed with both food and popularity. The content is that this is a type who is fortunate with feasts in gatherings and catches chances through friendships, and whose trust deepens the more firmly they keep secrets.
• Earlobe (lucky mole): an auspicious mark that draws in wealth and fortune. The content is that they are prone to unexpected help, and fortune stays the more they pass on the kindness they receive to the next person.
• Wrist: a physiognomy of dexterous hands and earning power. The content is that not selling their skill cheaply is the knack for making their financial luck grow.

Of these, the three places beside the corner of the mouth, earlobe, and wrist are positions said to bring good fortune. The beauty mark is a position that “can go either way.” Reading the four side by side, a gentle picture emerges: “deep in feeling, and likely to gain fortune from ties with people, though watch out for giving too much.” Of course, this is only one example made by joining explanation phrases together, and whether A themselves feels “it’s true, I have been helped by people” matters far more.

B’s case: moles lined up down the middle of the face

B has moles between the eyebrows and on the tip of the nose, and, on the body, one on the right shoulder from B’s own view. B chooses “between the eyebrows” and “tip of the nose” on the face diagram, and “right shoulder” on the body list.

• Between the eyebrows: strong-willed but prone to taking everything on alone. The content shown is that having someone to whom they can voice their weakness is the key to good fortune.
• Tip of the nose: attracts people, but a loose purse. The content is that setting up a mechanism to prevent impulse buying makes wealth remain.
• Right shoulder: a large capacity to be relied on and to bear responsibility. The content is that not carrying the burden alone, and making companions with whom to share it, becomes achievement.

For B, the number of positions said to bring good fortune is 0. Between the eyebrows and the tip of the nose are positions read “with a point to watch,” and the right shoulder is a position that “can go either way.” Looking at the number alone, you might be disappointed. But if you read the content, each pairs a strength, “strong sense of responsibility, able to move for others,” with a device for “not shouldering too much alone.” The number of fortunes is only the count of how many of the traditionally auspicious places you happened to hit, and does not measure the amount of your luck.

The same mole is read differently by different books

The readings seen in the examples are only one interpretation compiled by our site. As we noted in the history chapter, Mizuno Nanboku is said to have seen most of the moles at key points on the face as unlucky, while conversely some manuals say “a mole at tenchū is auspicious.” A’s lucky mole may also be read differently in some other book. Please read the text of the result not as an “answer” but as a “prompt” for looking again at your own body and feelings.

A Quick Glossary of Mole Reading Terms

• Physiognomy (ninsō-gaku / kansō-gaku): the art of reading a person’s personality and fate from the face, build, color and sheen, and so on. Mole reading developed as part of it.
• Mayi Xiangfa (Mai Sōhō): a classic of Chinese physiognomy published under the borrowed name of the hermit Mayi Daozhe. Said to have been completed around the Five Dynasties to Song period.
• Shenxiang Quanbian (Shinsō Zenpen): a physiognomy manual compiled in the Ming period, regarded as the summation of Chinese physiognomy.
• Mizuno Nanboku: an Edo-period physiognomist (around 1760 to 1834). Author of the “Nanboku Sōhō,” who preached opening fortune through moderate eating.
• Hahakuso: an old name for the mole. There is a theory that it was thought to be “dregs” marked in the mother’s womb.
• Tenchū, indō, sankon, chikaku: names of facial sections in physiognomy. They refer to the center of the forehead, between the eyebrows, the base of the nose, and the chin respectively.
• Nakibokuro (beauty mark under the eye): a mole under the eye. Said to be a mark of being easily moved to tears and strong sensitivity.
• Kui-bokuro (food mole): a mole right beside the corner of the mouth. Said to be a mark of good fortune, never lacking food.
• Fuku-bokuro (lucky mole): a mole said to bring good fortune, such as on the earlobe.
• Iki-bokuro and shini-bokuro (living mole and dead mole): popular names for a black, glossy mole and a pale, dull mole. Often introduced as a difference in whether the meaning comes out strongly or modestly.
• Beauty patch (mouche): a mole cut out of silk or velvet and stuck on the face, in fashion in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.
• Melanocytic nevus (shikisosei-bohan): the medical term for a common mole. Formed by a gathering of cells that produce pigment.

How Is Mole Reading Used Today?

Even in present-day Japan, mole reading remains popular. In magazine fortune pages and fortune-telling sites, a “mole map,” a face diagram showing the positions of moles, is often introduced, and on TV and in videos, the beauty marks and mouth moles of entertainers are sometimes talked about. On social media, you can also see posts in which people look up the position of their own moles and are delighted to find they are “lucky moles.”

In the world of makeup, “drawn-on moles” and “beauty patch makeup,” in which a small dot is added with an eyeliner or pencil, come into fashion from time to time. Just placing one dot under the eye adds melancholy or allure to the expression. Like the beauty patches of 17th- and 18th-century Europe, the mole is still alive today as a tool for staging the self you want to be.

On the other hand, among advertisements for cosmetic medicine that deals with mole removal, fortune-telling-like phrases such as “remove a bad mole to raise your luck” sometimes appear. Whether to remove a mole is something to decide in consultation with a doctor, based on cosmetic concerns and medical necessity. We would like to be careful that the words of fortune-telling do not become a factor pushing a decision to alter the body.

Four Tips for Enjoying Mole Reading

1. Look calmly in a bright place: how a mole looks changes with how light falls. In a bright place with natural light, combining a hand mirror with a large mirror makes it easier to check hard-to-see places.
2. Have someone you trust look at hidden places: you can hardly find moles on your nape or back yourself. If family or a partner looks for you, you may make an unexpected discovery. While they do, it is good to have them check whether there are any worrying changes in shape or color as well.
3. Turn the words of the result into “questions”: if it says “prone to taking everything on alone,” ask yourself, “Have I been able to rely on people lately?” If it doesn’t fit, you may let it go.
4. Keep fortune-telling and health checks separate: whether fortune-telling says a position is good or bad has nothing to do with the health of the mole. If there is a change that worries you, go to a dermatologist regardless of the fortune-telling result. Keeping to this line is the biggest knack for enjoying mole reading for a long time.

Reflection: Why Have People Given Meaning to Marks They Cannot Choose?

From here, rather than summarizing history or mechanisms, we look at mole reading in our own way. Please note in advance that what follows is speculation and hypothesis by this site, not established theory.

What is contained in the words “dregs of the mother’s womb”

When you first learned the old name for a mole, “hahakuso,” some of you may have felt a little jolt. Dregs marked in the mother’s womb. By today’s sensibility, it is a rather blunt way of saying it.

But in our view, this word seems to quietly retain the feelings of people who tried to take the mole as a “memory from before birth.” People cannot choose why they were born with this face and this body. A mole is the mark in which that “unchoosability” appears in the smallest and clearest form. This is speculation, but people of the past may have tried somehow to make sense of that inexplicable black dot by seeing in it a trace of “the time when I was connected to my mother.” Though it is a word for dirt, it carries the name of the mother, the nearest presence of all.

The story in “Uji Shūi Monogatari” of the mother who tried to rely on a mole as a mark for recognizing her child seems to be an extension of the same feeling. A mole was a mark that, before a name, proved that a child was that child. The punchline, that the twin had a mole in the same place and it was of no use, has a little humor and a little terror. What you thought was your own mark turned out to be the same as someone else’s. This small story shows the unreliability of a person’s signs.

Giving meaning is taking a mark back as “your own”

This is how our site thinks about why mole reading has long been loved. By giving meaning afterward to marks they could not choose, people may have tried to take those marks back from “something imposed on them” to “something of their own.”

A person who had been bothered by a mole under the eye hears, “They say a beauty mark is a sign of deep feeling,” and finds it a little easier to look in the mirror. A child teased about a mole by the mouth is told by their grandmother, “A food mole is a sign of good fortune,” and puffs out their chest. There must have been countless such scenes. Our site believes that the real work of mole reading lies not in whether its words are right, but in how those words soften the gaze we turn on our own bodies.

The European beauty patch can be viewed as the inverse of this relationship. Rather than reading meaning into a mole you were born with, you decide a meaningful place first and stick a mole there. This is speculation, but the people of that time may have wanted, against the “given” things they could not choose, such as their features and the marks of illness, to have at least one “mark they chose themselves.” If the theory that patches were stuck on to hide the marks of smallpox is true, then in that one black dot was also the earnest wish to protect wounded skin from other people’s eyes.

Why the same mole becomes both lucky and unlucky

While Mizuno Nanboku is said to have viewed moles severely, present-day Japanese mole reading overflows with words that read moles positively, such as lucky moles, food moles, and popularity moles. Why has the same mark been read in such opposite ways?

In our view, this reflects a difference in who was telling it, and to whom. Professional physiognomists like Nanboku were in a position to explain the worries and misfortunes of the people who came to consult them. In a job where a “reason” must be found somewhere, moles would easily have been read as “stains” that hinder the flow of fortune. Moreover, in Nanboku’s case, his final teaching was that “fortune can be changed by moderate eating and restraint.” This is speculation, but reading inborn marks severely may also have served to highlight his teaching that “even so, fortune can be changed by how you live.”

On the other hand, sayings about moles told at home or among friends are words for encouraging, teasing, and cherishing the person in front of you. There, it is much more natural to read a mole as a “charm point.” Isn’t that why names like beauty mark and food mole carry a friendly ring? Our site believes that the good or ill of a mole has been decided not by the mole itself but within the relationship between the person who tells it and the person who hears it.

The urge to count “the number of fortunes”

Our tool displays how many of the places you chose are positions said to bring good fortune. As with B in the examples, that number can be 0. To be honest, some of you may have felt your chest tighten a little at seeing this number.

This is speculation, but people may care about the “number” of moles because, facing marks they cannot choose, they want at least to feel secure with an easy yardstick like a score. Inborn marks cannot be increased or decreased by effort. That is why the number “how many did I hit” can feel like a modest report card for something you can do nothing about.

But in our view, this number is also a device for realizing that “counting is meaningless.” As we saw in the history chapter, a mole in the same position looked unlucky to Nanboku and was regarded as lucky in other manuals. The number of fortunes is a very unreliable number that easily changes depending on which book and which way of reading you adopt. If yours was 0, please remember that unreliability. And please take home with you the one line at the end of each explanation, “how to make things go well.” Even if you cannot choose the mark, you can always choose how to live with it.

The fear and the kindness of the phrase “dead mole”

“Shini-bokuro” (dead mole), the popular name for a pale mole, is a phrase with a rather strong ring even from our site, which deals with ghost stories. To imagine that a mark bearing the name “death” has surfaced on your face without your knowing sends a little chill down the spine.

But if we return this phrase to its physiognomic context, what we find is the plain sense, the same as when looking at plants and animals, that “what has sheen is alive, what lacks sheen is weak in strength.” This is speculation, but people of the past may have felt a mole to be a kind of “living thing.” A black dot that increases, fades, and sometimes vanishes does indeed look as if it were quietly living on the body. The words “living mole” and “dead mole” are also a remnant of fine observation that did not miss the changes in a mole.

And, ironically, that “gaze that does not miss change” overlaps somewhat with what modern dermatology asks of us. The shape has become irregular, the color has become mottled, it has suddenly grown. Noticing such changes is read as a change of fortune in the world of fortune-telling and becomes a prompt to see a doctor in the world of medicine. In our view, a person who enjoys mole reading is also a person who usually looks closely at their own moles. We hope you will use that eye not only for fortune-telling but also to protect your own body.

Moles have also been a prop in ghost stories

Finally, one perspective fitting for our site, which deals with ghost stories. As the mother in “Uji Shūi Monogatari” did, the mole has been relied on as “proof that a person is that person.” This is speculation, but that is exactly why the mole can also be a powerful prop in ghost stories. The familiar face of a family member lacks the mole that should be there. Or an unfamiliar black dot has surfaced in a place where there was none until yesterday. Because we somewhere believe that features and voice may be imitated but the position of a mole cannot be, that discrepancy becomes an unease that chills the spine. In our view, a mole is the smallest boundary marker by which people tell “the real self” from “what is not.”

In small black dots they cannot choose, people have seen a connection to their mother, seen fortune, seen love, and sometimes seen the key to unmasking a true identity. Mole reading is the newest page of that long history. Whatever words are attached to your mole, they do not decide your worth; please take them as one story that helps you like your own body a little more.

A Note on Using This Fortune-Telling

This article and our “Mole Reading” are offered as entertainment and as a hint for self-understanding, and do not guarantee results. No established scientific research supports the idea that the position or color and sheen of moles can tell personality or fortune. They are also not a substitute for important decisions about medicine, law, investment, education, employment, marriage, and the like. Please make such decisions yourself after consulting experts or people you trust.

[Essential] For a mole that worries you, see a dermatologist, not a fortune-teller

Most moles are nothing to worry about, but some may hide a skin disease. If a mole has the following features or changes, please do not try to read it by fortune-telling; see a dermatologist promptly.

• It has suddenly grown, or its diameter exceeds roughly 6 mm.
• Its shape is not symmetrical and has become irregular.
• Its edges are jagged, or the border with the surrounding skin is blurred.
• Its color is mottled, with darker and lighter parts mixed.
• It bleeds, oozes, or has a scab that does not heal.
• Its color, shape, hardness, or the like have changed compared with before.
• A new black dot or line has appeared on the sole, palm, nails, and so on.

These are well-known guidelines for ordinary people to notice changes in moles. Meeting them does not necessarily mean disease, and not meeting them does not mean you can rest easy. Only a doctor can judge. Please absolutely avoid delaying a consultation by thinking, “Fortune-telling said it is a good mole, so it’s fine,” or “It’s a lucky mole, so let’s wait and see.”

Please do not remove or keep a mole on the basis of fortune-telling

Our site does not make recommendations based on fortune-telling, such as “this mole lowers your luck, so you should remove it” or “it is a lucky mole, so you must not remove it.” Whether to remove a mole is something to decide in consultation with a doctor in dermatology or plastic surgery, based on cosmetic concerns and medical necessity. Self-treatment outside a specialized medical institution, or removal by someone without a medical license, may leave scars or cost you the chance for necessary tests.

Please do not decide a person’s worth by appearance

Mole reading has a side that reads physical features as “good” and “bad.” That is exactly why it is important not to decide your own or other people’s worth, future, or compatibility by the position of a mole. Judgments based on appearance, such as “that mole is a sign of misfortune,” can deeply hurt people. When reading someone else’s moles, obtain their consent, and do not say anything that may make them feel bad.

Beware of readings and expensive sales that stir up anxiety

If someone strongly stirs up anxiety, saying things like “you have a bad mole so you’ll be unhappy,” and recommends expensive reading fees, prayers, the purchase of lucky charms, or a particular treatment, please do not decide on the spot; take it home and think calmly. If you feel strong anxiety from a fortune-telling result, cannot sleep, or your low mood continues, please also consider consulting a medical institution or a public consultation service.

The historical statements in this article are compiled in our own words from several sources. There are various theories about physiognomy and sayings about moles, and in particular for people, dates, and the composition of books from old times, descriptions differ by source. The parts marked “our view” or “speculation” are this site’s own reflections, not established theory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What is mole reading?

A. It is a fortune-telling that reads tendencies of personality and fortune from the position, color, and sheen of moles on the face and body. It developed as part of Chinese physiognomy and was also passed on to Japan. Our site introduces it as entertainment and a hint for self-understanding.

Q. Does mole reading come true?

A. We have found no established research that scientifically supports the idea that the position of moles can tell personality or fortune. The good or bad of the same position can even be the exact opposite depending on the book. Please enjoy it casually as a chance to look at yourself again.

Q. Do I need to upload a photo?

A. No. Our tool has you press dots on a face diagram to choose the location of your moles, and choose the body from a list. Photos and personal information such as your date of birth are not used.

Q. From which side should I choose left and right?

A. All left and right are “from your own point of view.” The side where your right hand is counts as “right.” Because the face diagram is drawn as if you were looking at the face of someone facing you, a mole on your right side is displayed toward the left in the diagram.

Q. What does a beauty mark under the eye mean?

A. It is a mole under the eye, said to be a mark of being easily moved to tears and strong sensitivity. On our site, we read it differently: under the right eye from your own view is a person sensitive to others’ pain, and under the left eye is a person devoted in love and full of allure.

Q. Where is a lucky mole?

A. In general, it refers to an auspicious mole said to be blessed with wealth and benefits from others. On our site, a mole on the earlobe is introduced as a “lucky mole.” The “food mole” beside the corner of the mouth is also known as a mark of good fortune.

Q. The “number of positions said to bring good fortune” was 0. Does that mean I have bad luck?

A. No. This number is only a count of how many of the places you chose are traditionally auspicious positions, and does not measure the amount of your luck. Every position’s explanation comes with strengths and advice for making things go well.

Q. How do living moles and dead moles differ?

A. In physiognomy, a black, glossy mole is called a “living mole” and is said to make its meaning work strongly. A pale, dull one is popularly called a “dead mole” and is said to make its meaning work modestly. It is not a mark meaning death or ill omen.

Q. If moles increase or disappear, does my fortune change?

A. In the world of fortune-telling, changes in moles are sometimes read as changes in fortune. However, a mole that has suddenly grown or whose shape or color has been changing should be brought to a dermatologist, not a fortune-teller.

Q. Should I remove a mole that fortune-telling says is bad?

A. Our site does not recommend removing a mole because of fortune-telling. Whether to remove one should be decided in consultation with a dermatology or plastic surgery doctor, based on cosmetic concerns and medical necessity.

Q. What is “hahakuso,” the old name for the mole?

A. It is an old Japanese word for a mole. It combines “haha” (mother) and “kuso” (dregs), and there is a theory that it was thought to be dregs marked in the mother’s womb. It is said to have later changed to “hokuro” by way of “hahakuro.”

Q. Who was Mizuno Nanboku?

A. He was an Edo-period physiognomist, said to have been born in Osaka around 1760 and to have died in 1834. He is said to have learned physiognomy by observing people’s faces and bodies at barbershops, bathhouses, and crematoria, wrote the “Nanboku Sōhō,” and preached that fortune opens through moderate eating.

Q. What is a beauty patch?

A. It is a mole cut out of silk, velvet, or the like and stuck on the face, in fashion in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries. It was called “mouche” (fly) in French, and it is said that the position where it was stuck expressed feelings such as love or mischief.

Q. Is our Mole Reading free?

A. Yes, it is free. No membership registration or personal information is required.

Related Fortune-Telling to Try Next

Like mole reading, these are fortune-telling forms that look at yourself through the features of your body. Comparing the results of the overall impression of the face and the lines of the palm, you may see other sides of yourself.

For Deeper Reading

Here are articles that dig into the same theme from a different angle.

• Physiognomy (face reading) explained
• Palmistry explained

Sources Consulted

This article was compiled in our own words with reference to the following sources (it is not a copy of their text). The examples of “A” and “B” in the article, the number of places covered, and the classification of readings by position are what we confirmed with the data of our “Mole Reading” tool.

• Hokuro (mole) – Kotobank (Nihon Kokugo Daijiten, Sekai Daihyakka Jiten, and others)
• Physiognomy – Kotobank
• Mayi Xiangfa (Mai Sōhō) – Zdic
• Mizuno Nanboku – Wikipedia
• Article on Mizuno Nanboku – Wraku Web
• Beauty mark – Wikipedia
• The Secret Code of Beauty Spots – Messy Nessy Chic
• Melanoma (malignant melanoma) – Cancer Information Service, National Cancer Center
• Hokuro (mole) – Wikipedia

KARASU CHANNEL publishes investigation videos of ghost stories and haunted spots on KARASU CHANNEL (YouTube).