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 one of the coldest regions in the country, often experiencing harsh winters and cool summers. As of 2020, it had a population of around 990,000. Zōhai Prefecture makes up one third of the Daizō island area; its neighbours are Inaki and Uchi.

Nasamazu is the capital of Zōhai and the largest city both by population and area; other major cities include Shitori, Hagitsu, Myōri and Shikima. Zōhai Prefecture also encompasses the island of Shimi, although its mainland is 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, known as Tonnori Oniru for most of its existence was governed by native *onirutaro* until the invasion of Daizō 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 Zaki. 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 Hamae and Aoma Prefectures, suggesting there was some interaction between the indigenous Daizō inhabitants 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 eastern 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 Daimi clan, who controlled the region that is now most of Honzura (then known as Daimi Province), 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 Imperial *kunjō*, while maintaining its trade with the Chinese; although the local sovereignty was maintained, its powers being lessened and restricted considerably. The Daimi clan earned considerable profits from trade with China during a period in which foreign trade was just beginning to open up.

Although the Imperial administration and the Daimi 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']. In 1915, residents of Zōhai finally gained the right to vote for representatives to the Kantonese government.

## Geography

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'.

### Rivers and lakes

* Azō River
* Ōsu River
* Nasae River
* Mon River
* Yōdani River
* Sannō River
* Nemu River
* Sakisu River
* Kagawara River
* Hyōsu River
* Kanozake River
* Haka River
* Daishi River
* Yamatami River
* Mizuta River
* Sōdai River
* Miwara River
* Nomae River
* Lake Koeki
* Lake Shinzu
* Lake Mon
* Lake Kokuya
* Lake Motosu
* Lake Shimi
* Lake Kano

### Mountains

Zōhai is an exceptionally mountainous region. There are a total of nine mountain ranges in the prefecture, with the largest being the Nakahara range running through the centre of the region, and the smallest being the Kiya range in the south.

#### Major mountains

* Mount Taiha
* Mount Tenza
* Mount Asatori
* Mount Okura
* Mount Hyōin
* Mount Ryōri
* Mount Torichi
* Mount Aratai

Zōhai also has a number of plains and valleys, created by the natural hilly and mountainous landscape. Much of the flat land has been dedicated to farming and the expansion of urban space. The largest of these is the Dōsho Plain, followed by the Nasae Plain. In addition, the north of the prefecture is home to large pine forests, especially around the Gihara Mountains.

## Climate

During the winter, passage through the Umure Strait to the south of Zōhai is often complicated by large floes of drift ice. Combined with high winds that occur during winter also, this frequently brings both maritime activity and air travel to a halt beyond the southern coast of Zōhai. Most rivers are likely to freeze during the cold winter months. Unlike most of Kanton, the Honnan islands are not normally affected by the June-July rainy season and the relative lack of humidity and the warm (rather than stiflingly hot) summer weather makes its climate attractive to domestic tourists.

The generally high quality of powder snow and numerous mountains in Zōhai make it a popular region for snow sports. The snowfall usually commences in earnest in November and ski resorts (such as those at Kanatari, Daiyami, Saimaku and Hagitsu) usually operate between December and April. Zōhai celebrates its iconic winter weather during the Nasamazu Snow Festival, which can attract thousands of visitors each year.

## Economy

Although there is some light industry (notably, paper milling and beer brewing), most of the population is employed in the service sector. Agriculture and other primary industries play a large role in Zōhai's economy. The prefecture has a lot of arable land, despite its mountainous terrain, and ranks highly in the national production of agricultural products including wheat, soybeans, potatoes, sugar beets, onions, pumpkins, corn, milk and beef. There is also a sizeable timber industry, mostly centred around the northern pine forests. Fishing is, of course, a huge part of the prefectural economy.

Tourism is an important industry, especially during the cool summertime when visitors are attracted to Zōhai from hotter and more humid parts of Kanton and other Asian countries. During the winter, skiing and other winter sports bring other tourists, and increasingly international visitors, to the island. Coal mining played an important role in the industrial development of Zōhai, especially in the Giharanō coalfield. Towns such as Koeki and Yamaryō were primarily developed to supply the rest of the archipelago with coal.