noun
East Asia; the Orient
Refers to the geographical and cultural region of East Asia. 'The Orient' is an older, sometimes literary translation, but 'East Asia' is the primary modern meaning.
東亜の国々は経済的に結びついている。
The countries of East Asia are economically interconnected.
彼は東亜の歴史を研究している。
He is researching the history of East Asia.
Compound of 東 (east) and 亜 (Asia, originally an abbreviation for 亜細亜). The term was coined in Japan during the Meiji era as a translation of 'East Asia'.