▁Islands ▁remained ▁on ▁J al uit . ▁ ▁The ▁German ▁Empire ▁had ▁had ▁primarily ▁economic ▁interests ▁in ▁Mic ron esia , ▁while ▁the ▁Japanese ▁interests ▁were ▁in ▁land . ▁Despite ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ' ▁small ▁area ▁and ▁few ▁resources , ▁the ▁absor ption ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁by ▁Japan ▁would ▁to ▁some ▁extent ▁alle vi ate ▁Japan ' s ▁problem ▁of ▁an ▁increasing ▁population ▁with ▁a ▁dimin ishing ▁amount ▁of ▁available ▁land ▁to ▁house ▁it . ▁During ▁its ▁years ▁of ▁colonial ▁rule , ▁Japan ▁moved ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁Japanese ▁to ▁the ▁Marshall ▁Islands ▁although ▁they ▁never ▁out number ed ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁as ▁they ▁did ▁in ▁the ▁Mar iana ▁Islands ▁and ▁Pal au . ▁ ▁The ▁Japanese ▁en larg ed ▁administration ▁and ▁appointed ▁local ▁leaders , ▁which ▁weak ened ▁the ▁authority ▁of ▁local ▁traditional ▁leaders . ▁Japan ▁also ▁tried ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁social ▁organization ▁in ▁the ▁islands ▁from ▁mat ril ine ality ▁to ▁the ▁Japanese ▁patri arch al ▁system , ▁but ▁with ▁no ▁success . ▁Moreover , ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁one ▁third ▁of ▁all ▁land ▁up ▁to ▁the ▁high ▁water ▁level ▁was ▁declared ▁the ▁property ▁of ▁the ▁Japanese ▁government . ▁Before ▁Japan ▁b anned ▁foreign ▁trad ers ▁on ▁the ▁arch ip el ago , ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Protest ant ▁mission aries ▁were ▁allowed . ▁ ▁Ind igen ous ▁people ▁were ▁educated ▁in ▁Japanese ▁schools , ▁and ▁studied ▁the ▁Japanese ▁language ▁and ▁Japanese ▁culture . ▁This ▁policy ▁was