"The Spanish sold the islands to Germany in 1899; the Germans lost them 20 years later to Japan; and the Japanese didn't fare much better, violently relinquishing their hold on the islands to the USA during WWII. Now, the Northern Mariana Islands are a territory of the United States, while the Japanese happily flock to the islands as tourists (after Guam, Saipan is their most popular destination)." . . . .