Heisai Prefecture

**Heisai Prefecture** [澤筌近; へいさい·こん] is a prefecture located on the north-facing coast of Kanton, in the Zōku region. It is bordered by the central peaks of the Tsuba Mountains, which separate it from its neighbouring prefectures of Kigen and Yamachi. As of 2020, Heisai had a population of around 1 million.

Tenzai is the capital and largest city of Heisai Prefecture, other major cities include Shinbara, Yamawa and Meidaru. Heisai is home to famous attractions such as Tenzai Castle, Jijō Temple and Heisai National Park, which takes in much of the Tsuba range and spreads across the prefecture's entire southern region. A smaller reserve, called Heiki-Ryōkei, also takes up a large portion of Heisai's eastern section.

## History

The area now known as Heisai Prefecture was once inhabited by ancient peoples who left their artefacts throughout the region. A large number of burial pits from roughly 1,000 BC have been found in the mountain slopes of the Tsushi region. Various other objects, such as clay figurines, masks, jewellery and pottery shards have also been unearthed across the prefecture, with stone knives, tablets, and tools from circa 300 BC having been discovered in the south of Heisai.

It is said that Kanaya Temple was built on Mount Obori in the 7th century, in the region now taken up by Yamawa's northern ward. At this time various traders, hunters, adventurers, priests and criminals were inhabiting and traveling through Heisai. In the early 8th century Jijō Temple was founded in what is now the city of Shinbara by the famed traveling priest Ikanami.

Little is known about relations between the Kantonese natives of Heisai and the Summui who immigrated to the northern coasts in the early Chisō period. It is thought that unlike in other prefectures, the Summui were not welcomed in Heisai and were treated with cruelty - historical records from the 8th century depict a hostile atmosphere, with Summui and Kantonese men fighting constantly over territory. However in 1090 the Tengō army suffered a terrible defeat at the Battle of Jian Village in what is now the city of Kusake. There the warlord Noshiba and his men, leading a large cavalry force, trapped the Tengō fighters and cornered them on Jian Beach, where many were slaughtered.

Trade for superior quality iron wares and alcohol made the Summui dependent on the Kantonese for these valuable goods. Bribes were offered to the Summui leaders in the form of Kantonese citizenship and rank if they would defect. By the early 1200s, the Kantonese army had taken to kidnapping women and children and deporting them in ships back to the Zōhai islands, in a campaign known as the Heisai Clearances. Many Summui men gave up the fight to join their families again, and moved back to the islands.

## Geography

Heisai faces the ocean on its northern coast, with sheer, rocky cliffs lining most of the shore interrupted by a few sandy or pebbled beaches. The border with Yamachi Prefecture is generally formed by the central peaks of the Tsuba Mountains, which also curves around to mark the boundaries with Ganyama and Kigen. The mountainous landscape of Heisai, paired with its sweeping valleys, meadowlands and marshes, makes it a notably picturesque prefecture. The Heisai National Park is one of the top nature reserves in the country.

Besides the Tsuba mountain range and the rugged coastline, Heisai is characterized by the Ōmizu River which flows from north to south and crosses over into Kigen Prefecture. The basin of the Ōmizu is large and fertile providing plenty of land for the prefecture's largest cities, industrial parks and farms. Its many tributaries have also promoted rice farming within Heisai, along with the growing of other crops.

In the past Heisai has been famous for its mineral wealth especially in the form of gold, iron, coal and sulphur but these are no longer produced. There is still an abundance of hot water for hot springs, which is the basis of a thriving industry. The forests of the prefecture are another valuable resource.

### Lakes and rivers

* Sansha River
* Seikai River
* Shifushi River
* Yokana River
* Kugai River
* Kanakoro River
* Yūnata River
* Ōmizu River
* Hongata River
* Saiman River
* Hora River
* Lake Ōtsuke

## Culture

There are many present-day cultural foods popularly eaten in Heisai Prefecture, some of which include roasted chestnuts, *izatton* (stir-fried noodles) and local varieties of fish stew. Heisai's prefectural capital Tenzai is also known for its apples, blooming in May and ready for harvest from September to November.

The famous 16th century writer and poet Ōyama no Beiryū was born in Heisai and made multiple references to his homeland in his works. Most notably, his renowned poem *On Snowy Mountains* makes use of the dialectal word *yukei*, meaning 'snow'.