In my previous post, I told you that Iyo City, Ehime Prefecture has many historical sites and traditions related to the "Minamoto Hei Battle".
This time, I would like to introduce the second installment, "The Legend of the Five-Colored Princess".

A 15-minute walk from JR Iyo Station towards the sea, there is Thereare "Goshikihime Seaside Park" with a tropical mood lined with palm trees.
In the summer, the beach is crowded with Beachgoers, and a national beach volleyball high school girls' tournament is held every year. Also, in autumn, you can enjoy "Kangetsu Imotaki" in the park.

The area around such a seaside park has been called "Goshikihama" for a long time. A sad legend has been preserved on this name.

Five princesses of the Heike family who were defeated in the Battle of Minamoto and lived in hiding on the beach of Iyo City. One day, Sister Princess sees Aka Squid Ni and remembers the red flag color of the Heike family, which causes her to hold a grudge against Minamoto.

Sister Princess orders her sisters to look for the white Squid Squid, the color of Minamoto's flag, as if it were an enemy of the inn and killed the enemy, but no matter how many days they searched, they could not find the white Squid Ni. The exhausted sisters smear the crab with white powder and give it to the sister princess, but it is soon found out that it is a lie, and the youngest sister is cut by the enraged sister princess.

The grieving sisters throw themselves into the sea, and the remaining sister and princess soon throw herself into the sea with the death of her youngest sister in her arms. The five princesses who died in this way turned into stones of five colors, red, white, green, yellow, and black, and washed up on the beach, so this beach came to be called "Goshikihama".

When it was Maintenance in 1996 (Heisei 8) as "Goshikihime Seaside Park", a "crab square" with five colored stones installed after the legend was established.

In addition, the women's festival "Goshikihime Easter" is Held in every year on the fourth Sunday of March, in reference to the story that when the tears of the people of the land who pity the princesses and wish to come back to life fall on the five-colored stones, the princesses were resurrected from beyond the sea.

There is also a famous confectionery called "Five-Colored Negai Stone" that has been certified as a "more and more Iyoshi brand". The legendary five-colored stone is represented by red beans, green peas, white green beans, sweet corn, and chestnuts. They are wrapped in domestic red beans that have been slowly simmered and soaked in honey. Squid for Souvenirs.

Last June 29th was the opening of the sea, Goshikihime Seaside Park. Summer has finally arrived.
Let's enjoy Bathing in the sea to the fullest on the beach with beautiful white sand and gentle waves!

*Goshikihime Seaside Park*
Address: Ozaki, Iyo City
Contact: Iyo City Hall 089-982-1111 (Representative)