Chiha Prefecture

Chiha Prefecture (行速近; chiha-kon) is the largest prefecture in Kanton, and one of the most populous areas in the country, with a population of 17.5 million. It has formerly been known as 敢吐 (chomeba) and 皇近 (koukon). The largest city in Chiha is Keikai, with a population of 10 million.

Etymology
In its first recorded mention, Chiha is called Chomeba, literally meaning "green land". However, it seems as though this name was abandoned at the beginning of the 15th century, when prefectures were given their more precise descriptive titles, and the suffix -kon was added.

Before the changes brought about by the Chio Period, the region of Chiha was known as Ukiba ("land of the Uki clan"), after the Uki family who had conquered the area and lived there for almost three hundred years. However, after the Battle of Chiha in 678 AD, this name was changed due to the splitting of the region into ten separate territories; it became Chomeba. In the 12th century, the powerful Ikaya clan attempted to take control of the region by a combination of political and military ploys; in less than three years they had wrested the entire prefecture from the ten clans who had once held power there. It was renamed Chiha ("home of the Ikaya clan") and went through a number of cultural changes, notably a surge of religious practice.

For the entirety of the Jiko Period (1669-1704), Chiha served as the home of Emperor Ukiza; during this period, its name was changed to Koukon (皇近; "prefecture of the Emperor") as was customary at the time. After the death of Emperor Ukiza in 1704, the prefecture released this title and reverted to Chiha-kon, which has been in use ever since.

History
A hunter-gatherer lifestyle was already well-established in Chiha over 13,000 years ago. The naturalistic beliefs of the early Kannara was hugely impactful on the region, with hundreds of ancient temples and evidence of rituals still being discovered today.

For almost the entirety of the Chio Period (400 AD-900 AD), Chiha was split into ten districts, each belonging to a separate clan or family which governed the region. The largest of these regions was owned by the Ikaya clan, who were one of the most powerful families of the period. Other large governments in Chiha were the Kata clan, the Omo clan and the Beiya clan, though none reached the same amount of influence and power as the Ikaya during this time.

During the Kyo Period (1000s-1300s), Chiha underwent a religious renaissance, during which the Ikaya clan organised the construction of hundreds of shrines across the prefecture (many of which are still in use today). In the late 11th century, the Chiha Shrine Tour was organised for the religious upperclass to enjoy. According to sources of the time, the walk was designed as a three-month-long pilgrimage that would circuit around the entire prefecture. Additionally, evidence of ruined temples across the western coast have been discovered, presumbly built on commission in the 11th century.

At the end of the 1300s, there was considerable trade between Chiha and other parts of Kannara, even very distant prefectures. Many tactical alliances existed between the Ikaya and other clans. However, by the 1450s and the crowning of Emperor Uyama, these alliances were dissolved, and boundaries became static.

21st century
In late 2018, a typhoon hit the inland areas of the prefecture, destroyed over 40,000 buildings and leaving over 50,000 people injured. The typhoon, which was later nicknamed 閌赴杨 (kagi-fuyan, "city typhoon"), had a very destructive impact on most of Chiha's major cities, including Jindo, Sakedo and Keikai.