East Sakura Country

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	East Sakura Country (东樱国)
Alias(es)	Eastern Cherry Empire
Type	Neutral Character (AI)
Status	Defeated after the Australia war; its leadership publicly surrendered and committed suicide, while the country was subjected to Lin Chen's restrictions 633 634
First Appearance	Chapter 265

History

Conflict with Lin Chen

East Sakura Country was linked to the Sakura Assassin Organization through assassin Fujiwara Ye, a Level 2 Sakura operative who accepted a bounty on Lin Chen. The organization maintained a Dark Web site disguised with cherry-blossom imagery and had more than 3,000 registered assassins worldwide. After a Huaguo cyberattack paralyzed its site, Sakura withdrew the bounty and promised not to accept future contracts against Lin Chen. 265 266 269 270

The Ishihara Family, a powerful East Sakura family hostile to Huaguo, was later identified as the force behind Wu Haoyu's murder and Xu Ke's framing. Lin Chen infiltrated the family's systems and deployed a virus that destroyed infected computers' CPUs and GPUs, damaging the Ishihara businesses and connected companies. 368 371

Lin Chen subsequently disrupted the country's banking system with a virus that prevented ATM withdrawals without damaging the banks' underlying systems. The ensuing runs on banks contributed to a major stock-market drop. 389 391

East Sakura consortiums and ninja organizations escalated their anti-Lin Chen activities. Three ninja organizations, supported by more than a dozen consortiums and tied to Ishihara Taro, participated in an assassination operation described as a national effort. 405

Super Ninja and genetic research

Following the failure of its ninja operations, powerful figures convened under Hatoyama Watari to establish the Super Ninja Project. The project aimed to create enhanced warriors capable of killing Lin Chen and securing the Eastern Cherry Empire's future; each backer agreed to contribute 200 billion US dollars. 417

The country also operated secret facilities conducting human genetic experiments. A fake “Golden Ancient Tomb” image created by Lin Chen and Little Bei drew outside attention toward one such network of bases. When exposure became likely, General Kamijima ordered Base One destroyed, killing Professor Miyazaki and more than a hundred personnel; the government publicly attributed the destruction to an explosives-related collapse during tomb searches. 456 457

Its Genetic Potion fused animal genes into human subjects, increasing strength, speed, and reaction time. Lin Chen assessed the formula as crude: ordinary users could survive for no more than three days, while a High-Level Ninja might endure for around thirty days. Enhanced High-Level Ninjas could reach the strength of six or seven ordinary High-Level Ninjas, but remained vulnerable to bullets. 457 458 460

Biohazard crisis and Huaguo aid

A group of genetically modified humans escaped from East Sakura Country facilities. Little Bei identified nine escapees, six of whose approximate locations were sent to East Sakura authorities; Huaguo later publicly announced that more than a dozen modified humans had broken out from a secret biochemical base. 493 495

The resulting infection expanded rapidly. Within a week, the Infected had killed several thousand people, supply chains collapsed, panic buying emptied supermarkets, and the country considered releasing its Strategic Reserve. 496

Facing a worsening crisis with more than 14,000 Infected, East Sakura Country requested Huaguo's assistance. Its delegation, led by Takashima-gawa, negotiated with Lin Chen and Chen Guoxiang. 500

Aid term	Agreement
Mechanical Leopards	30,000 leased from Huaguo for ten years after negotiations 501
Huaguo personnel	3,000 personnel sent to manage and maintain the force 500 502
Bases	Five bases, each ten square kilometers: two on Honshu and one on each of the other three islands 500 502
Per-base deployment	3,000 Mechanical Leopards and 600 soldiers per base 502
Legal and customs terms	Huaguo ships were exempted from customs inspections, while Huaguo personnel handled their own legal matters 502

The deployed Mechanical Leopards imposed order during the crisis and later suppressed anti-Huaguo elements. East Sakura Country eventually held 240,000 Mechanical Leopards within its territory, limiting its ability to openly challenge Lin Chen or Huaguo. 513 614 630

State Programs and Military Assets

Genetic Organisms

East Sakura Country developed genetically engineered sharks, octopuses, and sea snakes as military assets. The organisms could infiltrate naval facilities through narrow spaces, sewers, and ventilation systems, then sabotage ammunition stores and energy infrastructure. 605 608

The country also planned a biological army intended to establish maritime supremacy. Suspicions that it controlled Octopus Monsters led to international sanctions, worsening its economy and increasing prices. 590

Military expansion

Before the Australia war, East Sakura Country had a military of slightly more than 200,000 personnel. It rapidly expanded this force to over one million through conscription and accelerated training, eventually fielding millions of soldiers across the homeland and Australia. 494 615 617 620

Its war strategy relied on conventional naval forces, massed troops, weapons manufacturing, Mechanical Leopards, and genetic organisms. During the Australian campaign, it dispatched warships including quasi-aircraft carriers, destroyers, and submarines. 611 615 623

War with Australia

Invasion

After Huaguo demonstrated a 30-million-ton non-nuclear Mushroom Bomb, East Sakura Country abandoned the prospect of directly provoking Huaguo and instead chose Australia as its target for land, resources, and a future base. 608

It formally declared war on Australia under the stated justification that the Empire required “land” and “greater living space.” Retired soldiers were recalled, civilians were urged to enlist, and state propaganda intensified nationalist sentiment. 610

Genetic organisms struck Australian naval ports and military bases before East Sakura warships bombarded coastal cities and landed troops. Australia struggled to respond to the combined pressure of naval artillery, trained soldiers, Mechanical Leopards, and genetically modified organisms. 608 611

Occupation and atrocities

East Sakura troops seized supplies, forcibly removed civilians from homes, and committed widespread atrocities in occupied Australian territory. Reports of robbery, arson, torture, rape, and massacres hardened Australian resistance and intensified international condemnation. 612 614 616

Lin Chen established protected concessions in Australia. East Sakura troops withdrew from areas included in those concessions after being warned that the Mechanical Leopards stationed in East Sakura Country would retaliate against disobedience. 614 616

Despite mounting losses, East Sakura Country continued mobilizing forces and producing weapons. Its population was heavily influenced by wartime propaganda, with many citizens viewing victory in Australia as essential to their future prosperity. 615 617

Collapse

Mechanical Leopards attacked East Sakura forces in Australia and the homeland. During one hour of fighting, the Leopards lost 1,127 units while inflicting an estimated 70,000–80,000 East Sakura casualties; electronic jamming failed against modified units with improved anti-interference systems. 623

Lin Chen personally destroyed East Sakura warships with explosives while flying at speeds exceeding 200 meters per second. He later endured missile and anti-aircraft fire without injury, while Mechanical Leopards attacked military units across East Sakura Country. 626 627 630

East Sakura leaders considered surrender, but Lin Chen prevented their escape from an underground base. The Mechanical Leopards refused military surrenders and continued targeting soldiers who raised white flags or attempted to hide after removing their uniforms. 631 632 633

Defeat and Aftermath

East Sakura Country's military in Australia and at home was destroyed, with reports that nearly all of the country's ten million war participants had been killed. Genetic organisms also killed more than one million people within East Sakura Country itself. 633

Lin Chen seized the country's central-bank gold, foreign currency, government funds, company accounts, personal savings linked to war participants, resource reserves, and national-debt holdings. The central bank alone held more than 800 tons of gold. 632 633

The Japanese Yen fell to an exchange rate of 350 per US dollar. Weapon-producing factories were destroyed, foreign investment was prohibited, and grain imports were subjected to double tariffs. 633

Lin Chen imposed the following conditions on East Sakura Country:

• The country was permanently forbidden from maintaining an army. 633
• Civilian firearm possession was prohibited. 633
• Couples were limited to one child; having a second child carried a ten-year prison sentence. 633
• Women could renounce East Sakura nationality through marriage abroad, while men were forbidden from leaving and expatriate men were ordered to return within one month. 633
• Revenue from doubled grain tariffs would be used as compensation for Lin Chen's losses. 633

Its Elders ultimately announced their surrender in a global livestream and committed suicide after apologizing for their actions. 634

Relationships

• Huaguo — Longstanding adversary; later received Huaguo aid during the Infected crisis, accepted Huaguo bases and Mechanical Leopards, and was ultimately defeated by Lin Chen and Huaguo-backed forces. 500 502 630 633
• Lin Chen — Target of repeated assassination attempts and conspiracies; he retaliated through cyberattacks, negotiations, military force, and postwar restrictions. 368 405 500 626 633
• Australia — Invaded for territory, resources, and strategic depth; East Sakura forces occupied parts of the country before being defeated. 608 610 611 623
• United States — Maintained bases in East Sakura Country before withdrawing its personnel during the Australia war; East Sakura Country was also suspected of obtaining United States genetic research. 535 617
• Ishihara Family — Influential family hostile to Huaguo and involved in framing Lin Chen; its businesses suffered severe cyberattack damage. 368 405
• Aso Family — One of the country's top families and a leading force behind genetic-enhancement operations. 461

Notable Quotes

“For the survival of the Empire, for our people, for the well-being of our future generations, we need land, we need greater living space.” 610