A record 1,658 people took part in an event at which they engaged in so-called pinky swearing, or entwining little fingers as a sign of a shared promise, on Sunday in the Amakusa area of Kumamoto Prefecture, organizers said.
The accomplishment was recognized as a new record by Guinness World Records, they said. The previous record was set in 2015 by 1,343 people in Chiba Prefecture.
The event was organized by the local tourism industry to mark the 50th anniversary Saturday of the opening of the Five Bridges of Amakusa connecting islands in the Amakusa area with mainland Kyushu.
It was also held to pray for the recovery of areas in Kumamoto Prefecture hit by major earthquakes in April, they said.