Zōhai Prefecture

**Zōhai Prefecture** [坎海近; ぞうはい·こん] is an island prefecture located in the north of Kanton. It is by the far the northernmost prefecture of the country, and one of the coldest regions, often experiencing harsh winters and cool summers. As of 2020, it had a population of around 900,000.

Nasamazu is the capital of Zōhai and the largest city both by population and area; other major cities include Shitori, Takemugi, Myōkei and Shikima. Zōhai Prefecture encompasses the three islands of Dainan, Shinan and Kagenan, with Dainan being the largest region and being the home of the majority of the population. Zōhai's indigenous ethnic group are the Summui people, who have lived in the archipelaego for over 2,000 years. In the native language of Sunpaku, the region is known as Summui.

Zōhai Prefecture was ruled by a native monarch for most of its history, until the invasion of Zōhai in 1710, when the islands were unofficially annexed by Kanton. The region was made a prefecture by the Empire of Kanton in 1850, after nearly two hundred years of low-level rebellion and conflict between official Kantonese forces and the natives of Zōhai.

## History

The oldest evidence of human existence on the Zōhai islands is from the Stone Age and was discovered outside Nasamazu and the town of ---. Some human bone fragments from the Paleolithic era were unearthed from a site in southern Dainan, along with other historical artifacts such as broken clay pots, which confirm that there was civilisation in Zōhai at that time. Indeed, pottery was a large part of the ancient Zōhai culture, as many remains of clayware have been discovered across the archipelaego. Many artefacts have been confirmed to be similar to items produced in Ganyama and Aoma Prefecture, suggesting there was some interaction between the indigenous Zōku peoples and the ancient Kantonese.

Agricultural societies first began forming in the 8th century and developed slowly until the 1100s. Since the islands were located relatively near to the southern coast of China, Zōhai soon became a prosperous trading nation. During the early Nittori period [1000-1300], many castles or *odoku* were constructed around the region. By the 1300s Zōhai was well-established in trading with China and there were firm economic relations between the southern Chinese ports and the Zōhai coast.

In 1699, the Warana clan [仂无], which controlled the region that is now Nannake Prefecture, launched their first invasion on the Zōhai area under command from the Kanaka administration. Although failing at first, they succeeded in storming the capital of Nasamazu in 1710. The Summui Kingdom was then obliged to agree to form a vassal relationship with the Kanaka *kunjō*, while maintaining its trade with the Chinese; although the local sovereignty was maintained, its powers being lessened and restricted considerably. The Warana clan earned considerable profits from trade with China during a period in which foreign trade was just beginning to open up.

Although the Kanaka administration and the Warana held strong influence over the islands, the Summui Kingdom maintained a considerable degree of domestic political freedom for over two hundred years. However in 1850 the region of Summui was renamed as Zōhai Prefecture [literally, 'north sea prefecture'], just four years after the --- Islands had also been annexed. In 1915, residents of Zōhai finally gained the right to vote for representatives to the Kantonese government.

## Geography

### Major islands

* Dainan [大洒]
* Shinan [少洒]
* Kagenan [判洒]

Zōhai is known nationally for its cold weather and frequent instances of heavy snowfall during the winter months. The seasons in Zōhai lack the clear destinction that they do in most of Kanton, with summer and spring often experiencing the same chilly, rainy weather that autumn and winter have. In the north of Kanton, the prefecture is often colloquially known as Takayuki-kon - 'too-much-snow prefecture'.