Highlights
- Japan plans an unprecedented deep-sea mining trial near Minamitorishima Island.
- The project aims to extract rare earth elements from the ocean seabed at a depth of 5,500 meters.
- The government-backed initiative seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese rare earth supplies.
- The project is designed to develop domestic mineral resources for high-tech industries.
- Environmental groups strongly oppose the project.
- Concerns include potential irreversible damage to marine ecosystems.
- There is a warning of threats to biodiversity in the deep ocean.
Japan is embarking on a high-stakes quest to mine rare earth elements from the depths of the Pacific Ocean – and it’s stirring intense backlash from environmentalists. In early 2026, a government-backed project will begin test mining rare-earth-rich mud from the seabed near the remote Minamitorishima Island (opens in a new tab), about 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo. The ultra-deep operation will deploy the drilling vessel Chikyu to unprecedented depths (~5,500 m) to pump up seabed sediment – a world-first trial that proponents hail as a resource breakthrough. Still, critics decry as a literal and figurative “race to the bottom”.
Reported in multiple media in Asia, Japan’s deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu, which will attempt to extract rare-earth-rich mud from ~5,500 m below the Pacific seabed. Each tonne of mud could yield ~2 kg of rare earth oxides essential for high-tech industries.
Deep Ocean Riches and Strategic Motives
The deep-sea mud around Minamitorishima is extraordinarily rich in rare earths, containing metals like neodymium and dysprosium used in electric vehicle motors, and gadolinium and terbium for high-tech devices as cited in Energy News and several other sources reviewed by Rare Earth Exchanges (REEx).
Surveys have confirmed vast deposits at depths of 5,000–6,000 meters within Japan’s exclusive economic zone, and one estimate claims the area holds hundreds of years’ worth of rare earth supply. These “treasures beneath the waves” are a strategic godsend for Tokyo: China currently dominates around 70–90% of global rare earth production and refining, and Beijing’s recent tightening of export controls on rare-earth magnets and alloys has spooked manufacturers worldwide. By developing domestic sources, Japan aims to lessen its reliance on Chinese supply and bolster economic security. “The goal is to secure a domestic supply to enhance national security, rather than to enable private companies to profit,” says Shoichi Ishii (opens in a new tab), head of the seabed mining program in Oceanographic Magazine.. The government spearheads this national project – involving the Cabinet Office, METI, the state-owned JOGMEC and JAMSTEC – as part of a broader push to commercialize undersea resources for Japan’s future.
Unprecedented Trial Extraction
In January 2026, the Chikyu vessel will lower a pipe 3.4 miles down into the Pacific abyss and attempt to suction up 35 tonnes of mud over a three-week test. Each tonne of sediment is expected to yield about 2 kg of rare earth oxides after processing. While that sounds modest, the trial’s true aim is to prove that the technology – pumps, riser pipes, and seabed collectors – can operate at record depths and harsh pressures. If successful, Japan plans to scale up quickly: by 2027, a system capable of hoisting 350 metric tons of mud per day could be operational. Officials stress this effort is government-funded and not immediately about profits. Indeed, Japan lacks a legal framework for commercial seabed mining, which has so far kept big mining firms cautious. Nevertheless, private stakeholders, such as DOWA Metals & Mining, alongside heavy industry contractors developing the gear, are watching closely. The prospect of a domestic rare earth bonanza has created a coalition of technocrats and industry eager to leap from pilot project to production, should the engineering challenges be overcome.
The Green Backlash: Environmental Alarm Bells
Japan’s plans for deep-ocean mining have triggered a fierce backlash from scientists and environmental groups. Critics warn that dredging the seabed at such depths could inflict “irreversible harm to ocean ecosystems,” as cited in Oceanographic Magazine.
The targeted mud sits in the abyssal plain – a largely unexplored habitat home to slow-growing corals, microbes, and strange sea life. Seabed mining impacts observed in earlier tests have already shown lingering damage to seafloor fauna, even years later. By vacuuming up mud, the process can destroy benthic habitats outright and create vast plumes of sediment. These sediment clouds may disperse far from the site, smothering marine life and disrupting food chains in neighboring areas. Toxic elements stirred up from the deep could also enter the water column, posing risks to marine creatures. “Deep-sea mining threatens marine ecosystems and will disrupt the sea floor,” environmental campaigners caution bluntly. Some have likened the rush for seabed minerals to a reckless gold rush at the ocean floor, where short-term resource gains could result in the permanent loss of biodiversity, truly a “race to the bottom” in the eyes of its detractors, as cited in the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
Mounting Opposition and Calls for a Moratorium
Around the world, opposition to deep-sea mining is gaining momentum, and Japan’s project is intensifying that debate. Dozens of countries (at least 20–37, including Pacific Island states) have called for a moratorium or pause on deep-sea mining until its ecological effects are better understood.
Over 800 marine scientists and experts have signed statements urging caution and more research rather than rushing into exploitation. In Japan, advocacy groups like the Pacific Asia Resource Center (opens in a new tab) (PARC) and international NGOs such as the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (opens in a new tab) are ringing alarm bells. As reported in Mongabay News, “We should only be mining if we can establish a robust system that properly takes environmental impacts into account,” argues Yoshihito Doi, an official at Japan’s energy agency, acknowledging the need for strong safeguards. Yet critics fear Japan’s government is barreling ahead regardless: “The process lacks a brake mechanism,” warns Shigeru Tanaka of PARC, who notes that multiple agencies are so invested in this venture that environmental findings might be treated as a box to check en route to mining – rather than a potential red light. The green backlash has thus put Japan in the crosshairs of a broader fight: whether the world’s last untouched frontier – the deep ocean – should be opened up for mineral extraction at all.
The Stakes are Large: Security vs. Sustainability
This deep-sea mining saga encapsulates a collision of imperatives. On one side, Japan’s policymakers and industry see a rare chance to secure critical minerals vital for green technologies and defense, insulating the nation from geopolitical supply shocks. On the other hand, environmentalists argue that no economic benefit justifies destroying the planet’s least understood ecosystems, which play a crucial role in carbon sequestration and harbor numerous species. The government insists it will follow international best practices and develop monitoring to minimize harm. Japan even pledges to honor evolving global rules (under the International Seabed Authority) even when mining in its own waters. However, to a growing global coalition, those assurances ring hollow against the scale of what is contemplated. As trial mining begins in the pitch-black depths off Minamitorishima, the world will be watching: Will this pioneering bid for rare earth independence prove that deep-ocean mining can be done responsibly, or will it serve as a stark warning of the costs of chasing minerals at the bottom of the sea? The answer may determine not just Japan’s resource future, but the fate of the last pristine wilderness on Earth’s blue planet.
Sources:
Japan Times/AFP – phys.org (opens in a new tab)phys.org (opens in a new tab)
Reuters – reuters.com (opens in a new tab)reuters.com (opens in a new tab)
Oceanographic Magazine – oceanographicmagazine.com (opens in a new tab)
Mongabay News – news.mongabay.com (opens in a new tab)
SCMP – scmp.com (opens in a new tab)
What are your thoughts about the prospects for mining the ocean floor for rare earth elements? Discuss at the REEx Forum (opens in a new tab).
Leave a Reply