The German Empire had primarily economic interests in Micronesia. The Japanese interests were in <answer>land</answer>. Despite the Marshalls' small area and few resources, the absorption of the territory by Japan would to some extent alleviate Japan's problem of an increasing population with a diminishing amount of available <answer>land</answer> to house it. During its years of colonial rule, Japan moved more than 1,000 Japanese to the Marshall Is<answer>land</answer>s although they never outnumbered the indigenous peoples as they did in the Mariana Is<answer>land</answer>s and Palau.
What was the primary nature of Japan's interest in the Marshall Islands?
land