On February 2, Japanese media reported that Japan has successfully drilled mud containing rare earth elements from the seabed, 1,800 km away from Tokyo. According to Yomiuri Shimbun and Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology’s (JAMSTEC) research vessel “Chikyuu” extracted mud containing rare earth elements from a depth of about 5,700 meters near Minamitori Island by connecting a giant pipe. Prior to this, Matsumoto Yohei, the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, announced on X (formerly Twitter) that they successfully retrieved the rare earth mud.
The research vessel, with approximately 150 crew members, departed from Shimizu Port on the 12th of last month and reached the planned drilling area off the coast of Minamitori Island on the 17th. This drilling is part of the Japanese Cabinet’s “Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP).” Extracting sediment from 6,000 meters underwater is a world-first attempt, utilizing techniques derived from oil and natural gas drilling. Japan has invested 40 billion yen (about 376 billion won) in developing mud crushing machines and special pipes for this purpose.
An earlier research team from the University of Tokyo discovered mud with high concentrations of rare earth elements in this area in 2013, estimating at least 16 million tons, which ranks as the third largest globally after China (44 million tons) and Brazil (21 million tons). The Japanese government plans to begin operations to extract up to 350 tons of mud per day starting next February, with the aim of completing a report by March 2028 that analyzes the commercial viability, including extraction costs.
Japan’s focus on securing its own rare earth resources is due to recent deteriorations in Sino-Japanese relations, where China has wielded the “rare earth retaliatory card.” During the 2012 Senkaku Islands (Diaoyu Islands in Chinese) territorial dispute, Japan’s key industries, like its automotive sector, were severely impacted by China’s rare earth export restrictions. Although Japan has diversified its supply sources, reducing reliance on Chinese rare earths from over 90% to 60% by sourcing from countries like Australia, the dependency remains high.
Following November of last year, when Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hinted at military involvement in the Taiwan crisis, China once again implemented retaliatory actions regarding rare earth supplies. Yomiuri Shimbun noted that “Japan’s drilling success marks a significant step towards domestic production of rare earth elements in a world where China, holding the majority of global production, actively uses it as a ‘diplomatic card.'”
However, there are concerns about the feasibility of Japan’s rare earth self-sufficiency efforts. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), while Brazil’s rare earth deposits are about half of China’s (21 million tons), actual production remains under 10,000 tons annually, much lower than China’s over 200,000 tons. Production in Australia, ranked sixth in reserves (3.4 million tons), also surpasses Brazil’s at 18,000-24,000 tons annually. This highlights the significant challenge of developing refining infrastructures alongside mining rare earth elements.
Additionally, there is skepticism about Japan’s rare earth extraction from 6,000 meters underwater, requiring high-level technical operations, achieving commercial viability or competitiveness. China’s Global Times criticized the project on January 11, describing it as having “slim prospects.” Quoting rare earth industry experts, the article suggested that despite Japan’s efforts to reduce dependence on China, building an alternative supply chain in a short time is challenging due to technical hurdles and cost issues.