when she put the threads which were taken from lotus stem in a well , they were quickly stained five colors . 姫が蓮の茎から取った糸を井戸に浸すと、たちまち五色に染め上がった。
there are five colors including white , red (plum ), green (green tea ), yellow (egg yolk ), and brown (buckwheat powder ). 白に加え、赤（梅肉）、緑（抹茶）、黄（鶏卵）、茶色（そば粉）の五色が彩りを添える。
senmin under the ritsuryo system was called goshiki no sen (the base people of five colors ), and was divided into five ranks . 律令制における賤民は、五色の賎（ごしきのせん）と呼ばれ五段階のランクに分けられていた。
on top of those , a yellow ingredient representing oryu is sometimes added to chirashi zushi and the five colors represent the universe . またこれに黄龍を表す黄色の具材を加える場合もあり、五色で宇宙全体を表現する。
it is said that ingredients in four colors symbolize the four gods or seasons , and that ingredients in five colors symbolize the universe . - 四色の具材で四神または四季、五色の具材で宇宙を表現しているといわれる。
