Japan has retrieved sediment containing rare earth elements from a depth of 6,000 meters in the Pacific Ocean, the government said Monday, in what it described as a world-first attempt to tap deep-sea deposits at such extreme depths. The test mission underscores Tokyo’s determination to reduce its heavy dependence on China for minerals that are essential to advanced industries and national security.
Government spokesperson Kei Sato said details of the sample, including the precise quantity and composition of rare earth elements it contains, would now be analyzed. He described the retrieval as a meaningful achievement for Japan’s economic security as well as for the broader development of its maritime resources.
The sediment was collected by the Chikyu, a deep-sea scientific drilling vessel that departed last month for waters near Minami Torishima, a remote Japanese island in the Pacific. The surrounding seabed is believed to hold a vast trove of valuable minerals within Japan’s economic waters, long seen as a potential alternative source to imports dominated by China.
The mission comes amid rising geopolitical tension between Tokyo and Beijing. China, the world’s largest supplier of rare earths, has increased pressure on Japan following comments in November by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggesting Tokyo could respond militarily to an attack on Taiwan, which Beijing claims and has vowed to bring under its control by force if necessary.
Beijing has already restricted exports to Japan of certain dual-use items with potential military applications, heightening concerns in Tokyo that China could also limit access to rare earths. Some of the minerals are included in China’s list of controlled dual-use goods, deepening anxieties about supply chain vulnerability.
Rare earths, a group of 17 metals that are difficult to extract from the Earth’s crust, are critical components in products ranging from electric vehicles and wind turbines to hard drives, lasers and missiles. Their strategic importance has grown sharply as countries race to secure materials needed for the energy transition and advanced defense systems.
The seabed around Minami Torishima is estimated to contain more than 16 million tons of rare earths, which Japanese media report would make it the world’s third-largest reserve. These deposits are believed to include the equivalent of roughly 730 years’ worth of dysprosium, used in high-strength magnets for smartphones and electric cars, and about 780 years’ worth of yttrium, used in lasers.
Analysts say successful extraction could reshape Japan’s strategic position. Takahiro Kamisuna, a research associate at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said that if Japan can continuously extract rare earths from the area, it would secure a domestic supply chain for key industries and significantly reduce reliance on China.
China has long used its dominance in rare earths as a geopolitical tool, including during its trade war with the administration of former U.S. president Donald Trump. According to the International Energy Agency, China accounts for nearly two-thirds of global rare earth mining and 92 percent of refined output, giving it outsized influence over a resource that underpins much of the modern global economy.
