Japan is ramping up plans to mine rare earth minerals from the deep seabed, advancing a decade-old initiative to secure strategic resources by tapping deposits around 6,000 meters (about 19,700 ft) below the Pacific Ocean near Minamitorishima Island.
The retrieved material will now be analyzed for its content of critical elements like neodymium and dysprosium, which are essential in electric vehicles, wind turbines, defense systems and high-tech manufacturing.
Access to secure supplies of rare earths is vital for Japan’s tech and defense sectors — from EV motors to advanced electronics — and reducing foreign dependence strengthens resilience in strategic industries.
Deep-sea mining raises new environmental governance questions, potentially influencing global standards for resource extraction in international and national waters.