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Large-scaleJapanese settlement in Micronesia occurred in the first half of the 20th century whenImperial Japan colonised much ofMicronesia.
Between 1914 and 1945, the modern-day Micronesian territories of theNorthern Mariana Islands, theFederated States of Micronesia,Palau and theMarshall Islands were part of the Japanese-governed,League of Nations-createdSouth Seas Mandate, known in Japan asNan'yō. During theSecond World War, the Japanese settlers outnumbered theMicronesians within the mandate territory and extensively intermarried with Micronesians, raising families locally.[1][2] A few Japanese also resided inKiribati[3] andNauru,[4] where they worked as contract labourers or established businesses.
After 1945, most of the Japanese settlers were repatriated to Japan, but the offspring of Japanese settlers and Micronesians were allowed to remain. These offspring usually identify themselves as Micronesians rather than Japanese,[5] and constitute a sizeable minority in each of the territories' populace.[6]
Archeological excavations have revealed thatMicronesians lived on the island ofChichijima (one of the JapaneseBonin Islands) in the past.[7]
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