The Legend of Lady Kana of Star Cape (Hoshigamine Kanajo)
- Modification： 2024/01/11
- Area: kuchinoerabu
This is the tale of the daughter of a samurai family who lived in Honmura, and a Buddhist monk who lived in Yumugi. After these two first met each other in Yumugi, they eventually fell in love. Lady Kana began to visit Yumugi from time to time in order to meet her lover in secret. Before long, her brother caught wind of these trysts—he told her to break it off, so as to protect the honour of their family’s name. But she didn’t listen, continuing to meet the priest in secret.
Eventually, she bore the monk’s child. Her brother was beside himself with rage, and could not forgive her for this trespass. One day, as Lady Kana was walking to Yumugi to meet with the monk, her brother ambushed her at Star Cape. He slashed at her with his terrible sword. Her body, still holding her baby, fell to the bottom of the ravine. Her head went flying, getting caught in the branches of a lone pine tree. It is said that her head was hanging by her hair, her face set in an expression of tremendous sadness.
Since that incident, people often hear the sound of a crying child coming from the depths of this ravine. This area is still known to this day as “Lone Pine”.
Perhaps the spirit of Kanajo and her tragic love lives on here: couples with mysterious experiences are more than uncommon here in Yumugi, and this village is said to be “the land of hidden love”.
