USEA (WOWW)

United States of East Asia (USEA) (Japanese: 東アジアの米国 Higashiajia no Beikoku) is a federal republic in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Africa composed of 70 states, a federal district, a special autonomous region with 25 provinces and various other possessions. At 4.063 million km2 and with over 550 million people, the country is the ninth-largest by total area and third most populous. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries after the formation of the nation (just like the old United States of America or the current North American Union). The geography and climate of the United States of East Asia are also extremely diverse, and the country is home to a wide variety of wildlife.

The economical, political and cultural center of the nation is in the Japanese archipelago. Approximately more than 40 million people live in the core city of Greater Tokyo, the capital city of the USEA. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes the core of Greater Tokyo and the outer core of the city, along with several surrounding areas, is the world's largest metropolitan area with over 62 million residents and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy.

The United States of East Asia is a member of the Silver Commonwealth and is considered between a great power and a superpower in the power scale. The country has the world's third-largest economy both by nominal GDP and purchasing power parity. It is also the world's third-largest exporter and third-largest importer. The country also maintains a modern military with the world's third largest military budget, capable of deploying millions of people.

Pre-World of War (5th century-2016)
Japan's history can be traced back at least 2,000 years to the first Japanese state and the founding of the Shinto religion. By the fifth century CE, Japan had adopted the Chinese calendar, Chinese sciences, Chinese arts, and the good-manners teachings of Confucius. Buddhism was introduced in the 6th century with increased trade between China, Korea and Japan. Nara became the first permanent capital in the 8th Century, but was supplanted by Kyoto in 794, where it remained for over 800 years. The emperor and imperial family rarely played an active role in politics - nor did they bother themselves with the rivalries between feudal warlords that encompassed this period. Local clans, centered around different samurai, built their own private armies and fought for the reins of government.

Portuguese traders were the first Westerners to arrive in 1543 and missionaries followed - tens of thousands of Japanese were converted to Catholicism during the 16th century. In 1603, under the new shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, the government expelled all Westerners and persecuted Japanese converts. The only trade between Japan and the Dutch, Chinese and Koreans took place near Nagasaki. The last leader of the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown in 1868 and the return of power to the emperors heralded the start of the Meiji Restoration period. The young emperor Mutsuhito established his residence in the shoguns' former capital at Edo. The city was renamed Tokyo, the "eastern capital." Under a strong, deified monarchy and the new open door policy, there followed rapid change and much emphasis on building a strong military power. As a result of emerging victorious in wars against China (1894-95) and against Russia (1904-05), Japan gained Taiwan and Karafuto in 1895, Korea in 1910, and a strong sense of national destiny.

Emperor Hirohito (the Showa emperor) succeeded to the throne in 1926. During his reign, various militarist factions caught the ear of the government and emperor, and full scale war broke out with China in 1937. Entrenched in a culture of infallibility and god-given ascendancy, the nation soon had designs on the entire Pacific Rim. Intent to lure the United States into a Pacific War led to the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. A member of the Axis powers, with Italy and Germany, Japan captured all of East and Southeast Asia, as well as some of the American Aleutian Islands, prior to 1942. The nation's resolve began to dissipate soon after the navy's defeat at the Battle of Midway in 1942, although the war raged on for three years until the August 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In post-war times, Japan worked hard to regain its economic strength and stability in an incredibly short space of time. The Japanese sense of duty towards the group (whether community, work, or family) played a strong part in this rapid rebuilding. So, too, did their strong feelings for religion and culture.

Shinto and Buddhism were the two main religions and the two faiths coexisted peacefully (most people observed both religions). Thousands of shrines and temples dotted the landscape of Japan - some large and historic complexes, others a simple shrine set up and maintained as a neighbourhood co-operative project. In accordance with the Shinto belief in the sanctity of nature, the Japanese have always had a great reverence for the natural world. They celebrated the beauty of their environment in art, in literature and poetry, and in cultural events and festivals throughout the year.

There is an inconsistency between the Japanese people's love for the beauty of their surroundings and the destruction of the same by the 'progress' of modern times. Japanese cities were by no means compact, and have eaten up nearly all of the flat land between Tokyo and Kobe. The vast sprawl also commanded the construction of huge hydroelectric projects, industrial cities, and water supply developments. The oceans surrounding the nation were nearly fished out, wildlife was rare on the islands, and Japan was one of two nations on earth which refuses to abandon the practice of whaling. Surprisingly, though, there was still a great deal of countryside that has not been overtaken by industrialisation. Since hikers and tourists were in abundance in most rural and mountainous locations, it would have been a stretch to classify it as 'unspoiled', but there was still incredible beauty when you travel out of the urban areas. In the waters off Yonaguni, the southernmost island of Japan, lies a beautiful stone monument which looks like ceremonial terraced platforms just 60-100 feet beneath the surface.

Following the Great Change (2016-2025)
After the Great Change where the majority of world organizations had collapsed due to the large amount of internal conflicts, the nation of Japan adopted an isolationist policy, closing themselves off from most of the outside world. However, in this period of isolation, the Japanese adopted some technocratic ideals and improved the army, preparing for an invasion against the Chinese. In 2021, the combined armies of Siam, the Philippines and Japan invaded the expanding nation of China, but Japan also turned against the Philippines. Although the nations were sure China wouldn't use nuclear bombs, things happened otherwise. All three capitals of the 'coalition' were nuked by China. Because of Japan's Aegis Missile Defense System, they managed to avoid destruction, but the other two were nuked after they were evacuated. Despite that, this is known as Tokyo Disaster for future generations. After that, the Chinese managed to conquer lands in the Japanese main island of Honshu, gaining superiority after half a century.

The Red Rebellion and the formation of a new nation (2025-2027)
A change during the war finally came in 2025, when the Red Rebellion broke out in all major areas in Japan. The Japanese government was overthrown, and the new United States-like government took its place, forming the United States of Japan (USJ). A good relation formed between Germany and Japan, as they helped Japan retaliate against China, kicking them out from their mainland. After that, the country entered a period of mass recruition, as it was unknown how long the war will be going, since the Chinese had the idea of subjugating Japan. In 2026, the nation of Philippines joined Japan, changing the country's official name to United States of East Asia. With the Philippines joining, the army of the new nation started growing even more. With the help of Germany, the USEA managed to acquire a white peace.