Umeya

Umeya [匆上; うめや] is a city located in north-eastern Ganyama Prefecture. As of 2020 it had a population of roughly 52,000. The city is most often associated with its traditional arts, culture and its dialect, which is a form of the wider Ganyama vernacular but shares some similarities with the Summui language, Sunpaku.
Umeya began as a small fishing village many centuries ago, and flourished throughout the early medieval period. Remains and artefacts from the late Naro and early Chisō periods suggest that Umeya was quite a prosperous settlement and was home to a relatively sophisticated people. Some of the oldest jewellery in northern Kanton was discovered at the Honbaichi Site in the city's northern ward.
By the 1200s, Umeya began experiencing a significant amount of Summui immigration, and over many decades the customs of the island peoples began to influence the native Umeyan culture. While other settlements along the Ganyama coast also experienced this, Umeya seemed to have the largest concentration of Summui immigrants. From the late 1200s, the Umeya-Sunpaku dialect began to emerge, a mixture of the Summui language and the vernacular variety of Kantonese spoken in Umeya at the time. This dialect morphed and grew over time, eventually becoming the town's most notable feature.
== Economy ==
Umeya's economy focuses largely on commercial fishing and some agriculture; rice farming has continued to be a popular industry. A large portion of the city is taken up by wetlands, which are fed by the Aruhana and Ayama rivers. Lake Ganma is also located in Umeya's southern ward. The large amount of water in Umeya helps to irrigate the rice paddies.
== Culture and local attractions ==
Umeya is well-known for its cuisine, such as crunchy dried noodles (hatobi), potato liquor (nōzan) and various local stews and soups. Seafood also features heavily in the traditional diet. As for local attractions, the city is known for its Statue of Unity, located in the city centre, which promotes goodwill between the Kantonese and Summui people, and Umeya Beach, which is a rocky and scenic coastland which offers campgrounds.