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![\"Japan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/1788140049_715_japan-2-earth-masthead-v2.jpg\")
<\/a>\nEnvironmentally Friendly Mining<\/p>\n
During test-mining operations off Minamitorishima in January and February, researchers successfully recovered rare earth-rich mud from the seabed at a depth of about 5,600 meters (18,373 ft).<\/p>\n
A large cylindrical device connected to the ship by a pipe was inserted into the seabed. Drilling and agitation were carried out inside the device, and the mud was pumped to the surface through the pipe. <\/p>\n
Because the process takes place inside an enclosed device, it is less likely that material will escape into the surrounding environment.<\/p>\n
Under extremely high water pressure, researchers used a wide range of equipment, including cameras, turbidity meters and microphones, to monitor water quality and noise levels. <\/p>\n
The results of the data analysis were generally favorable, leading Ishii to say the project had given researchers confidence that they could develop mining technology capable of coexisting with the marine environment.<\/p>\n
Deep-sea fish were also filmed approaching the mining equipment, and the project received favorable coverage from numerous foreign media outlets.<\/p>\n
Different technologies would be needed to extract minerals other than rare earths. However, practical monitoring technology capable of “visualizing” underwater conditions, together with high-quality environmental data, could help persuade countries taking a cautious stance toward seabed development.<\/p>\n
ISA officials have reportedly praised the technology as “a game changer.”<\/p>\n
Hiroyuki Yamamoto, a specially appointed senior principal researcher at the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), is responsible for developing the environmental monitoring technology.<\/p>\n
He said the next challenge is determining “what happens when the mining period becomes longer,” with a large-scale test-mining operation planned for February next year.<\/p>\n
The SIP plans to use the results of the large-scale test to formulate environmental guidelines.<\/p>\n
“We hope this can provide material that helps move the ISA discussions forward, even by one step. We want Japan to lead the world in environmental protection,” a government official said.<\/p>\n
Commercial Viability<\/p>\n
The large-scale test planned for February next year will be designed to more closely reflect commercial operations, with a target of recovering 350 tons of mud per day.<\/p>\n
The operation will also test dewatering the mud on Minamitorishima and transporting it to mainland Japan for separation, refining, and smelting. Following the test, the Japanese government will assess the project’s economic viability and other factors by March 2028.<\/p>\n
The first January-February test recovered roughly 50 tons of rare earth-rich mud. More than half of the rare earth elements identified consisted of relatively scarce medium and heavy rare earths, including yttrium.<\/p>\n
Toxic and radioactive substances were present only at levels generally found in the natural environment, including levels comparable to or lower than those found in material from land-based mines. This could potentially help keep processing costs down.<\/p>\n
However, the project faces significant challenges, including the roughly 1,900-kilometer distance between the Japanese mainland and Minamitorishima and the seabed depth of about 6,000 meters.<\/p>\n
The next test will therefore be important not only for determining whether Japan can extract the mud at a larger scale, but also whether it can establish a practical supply chain from the seabed to the mainland.<\/p>\n
Rare earths are essential for manufacturing high-tech products, but Japan relies heavily on China for imports. Japan continues to face economic coercion, including export restrictions, making the success or failure of the Minamitorishima project a focus of attention.<\/p>\n The development of a domestic source could strengthen Japan’s economic security, but the resource will only have strategic value if it can be extracted and processed at a competitive cost.<\/p>\n Norihiko Ishiguro, chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), which closely monitors China’s use of economic coercion, acknowledged that developing the resource off Minamitorishima will take time.<\/p>\n However, he said it is important for Japan to demonstrate, as a countermeasure, that it “will not depend on China.”<\/p>\n RELATED:<\/p>\n (Read the article in Japanese<\/a>.)<\/p>\n
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\nEconomic Security<\/p>\n