Perché l’estrazione di terre rare in acque profonde in Giappone sta attirando l’attenzione?

Perché l’estrazione di terre rare in acque profonde in Giappone sta attirando l’attenzione?

Why is Japan’s deep sea rare earth mining drawing attention? Why are the attitudes of the US and Europe so complex? Recently, there’s been big news in the global resource sector. The Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology, Jamstack, announced that in January 2026, it plans to conduct the world’s first experimental drilling for rare earths at a depth of 5,500 m in the waters around Minimarishima Island. As soon as this news broke, countries around the world took notice. Why? You see, rare earths are the master key of modern technology, indispensable for everything from electric vehicle batteries to high-end electronic chips and the manufacturing of advanced weapons. So why is Japan choosing this moment to embark on such a difficult deep sea rare earth mining plan? And more importantly, how will the US, Europe, and other Western allies view this move by Japan? Is Japan’s effort in the rare earth sector a genuine attempt to break China’s dominance in the global rare earth market and become the vanguard of the Western Alliance against China? Or is this just wishful thinking on Japan’s part, a solo act in the grand chess game of global resource competition that no one really cares about? Today, we’re going to dig deep into the details and see whether Japan’s rare earth ambitions are a prized possession or a hot potato in the eyes of the US and Europe. Japan’s rare earth predicament and attempts to break it. Japan has always been a resource poor country and when it comes to rare earths, it is almost entirely dependent on imports. In 2010, due to the Senko Islands dispute, Japan faced restrictions on rare earth exports from China. This was a harsh lesson for Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry, which keenly felt the pain caused by the rare earth supply shortage. Since then, rare earth decoupling has become a consensus from top to bottom in Japan. No matter which political party is in power, this issue is a top priority. For years, Japan has been sparing no effort to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths. In technology R&D, Japanese scientists have been looking for new methods. For example, they discovered that they could use salmon milk to effectively extract rare earths and created microorganism capsules that can extract rare earths from industrial waste water. Honda has also successfully used electrolysis to extract rare earth materials from used nickel metal hydride batteries and hybrid cars, achieving recycling of automotive fuel cells. In resource exploration, Japan has set its sights on the ocean. A large rare earth reserve has been discovered in the waters around Minimarishima Island with an estimated 16 million tons, ranking at third globally. Furthermore, Japan didn’t just discover the rare earths. It’s also been steadily advancing its mining plan. In 2022, they successfully completed a technical verification at a depth of about 2,500 m off the coast of Iberaki Prefecture. And now they are challenging the 5,500 me deep sea. Japan has invested 12 billion yen, about $83 million US for this experimental drilling, showing its great determination. However, can Japan’s efforts truly succeed? From a technical perspective, deep sea mining is extremely difficult at a depth of 5,500 m. There’s high pressure, low temperature, unstable seabed sediment, and the control of deep sea unmanned vehicles is extremely complex, far exceeding previous shallow sea oil and gas extraction. Moreover, it’s still uncertain whether it’s commercially viable to efficiently process and separate the extracted rare earth containing mud. From a resource perspective, even if Japan successfully mines rare earths, there is still a long way to go to reach a production capacity that can meet its own needs, let alone affect the global market. Japan’s many actions may seem impressive, but it’s highly unlikely to break the existing rare earth landscape in the short term. It’s like a person looking for water in a desert who finally finds a water source, but has to overcome countless difficulties to draw the water out and meet their daily needs. the American perspective to leverage or to observe. The US also faces the problem of dependency on China in the rare earth sector. China controls over 60% of the world’s rare earth production capacity and its refining capability is far ahead. The US has always wanted to change the situation and build its own rare earth supply chain. So at this moment, the US naturally won’t ignore Japan’s efforts in the rare earth field. On one hand, the US might see Japan as a helper in confronting China on rare earths. Japan has certain technological advantages in rare earth processing and recycling. If it can cooperate with the US, it would help the US build a desynicized rare earth supply chain. For example, Japan has proposed a partnership with the US in key mineral areas like rare earths to help the US solve rare earth processing technical problems. Also, Japan’s active participation in global rare earth resource exploration, if successful in finding new and stable rare earth sources, would be a good thing for the US. The US has always followed an America first policy. In the global resource competition, having an ally like Japan that is willing to put in the effort is a win-win situation. On the other hand, the US is not so quick to fully trust Japan. While Japan is taking some actions in the rare earth sector, its own capabilities are limited. The US is concerned that cooperating with Japan might ultimately be a waste of time and effort. Moreover, the US is also working hard to develop its own domestic rare earth industry, for example, by increasing the mining of domestic rare earth mines and supporting related companies. The US does not want to become overly dependent on Japan in order to avoid falling into a new dependency trap. The US also has to consider its relationship with China. While it wants to break away from China on the rare earth issue, pushing Japan to the forefront and completely souring its relationship with China would also bring many negative impacts on US economic and technological cooperation. It’s like the US is walking a tight rope. Trying to use Japan to checkmate China in the rare earth field without letting the situation spiral out of control. The European attitude to cooperate or to be cautious. Europe’s position on rare earths has similarities and differences with that of the US and Japan. Many high-tech industries in the EU have a great demand for rare earths and also face security issues with the rare earth supply. Europe is also actively looking for rare earth resources for example by exploring mining projects in Greenland, Africa and within Europe. European Commission President Ursula von Deeran has stated that the EU is seeking to establish a so-called competitiveness alliance with Japan which includes cooperation on rare earth mining. From Europe’s perspective, cooperating with Japan would provide an opportunity to participate in some of Japan’s rare earth resource exploration projects and expand its rare earth supply channels. Moreover, Japan has achieved some results in rare earth technology R&D and cooperation between the two sides can achieve technology sharing and enhance Europe’s competitiveness in the rare earth field. However, Europe also remains cautious about cooperating with Japan. Europe has its own set of strict environmental standards and industrial policies and it is not easy to meet these standards in the process of rare earth mining and processing. Japan’s deep sea rare earth mining plan may cause damage to the marine ecosystem, which contradicts Europe’s emphasis on environmental protection. Europe is also concerned about being dragged into the geopolitical game between the US, Japan, and China. Many European countries have close economic cooperation with China and do not want to jeopardize their economic and trade relations with China over the rare earth issue. In dealing with rare earth cooperation with Japan, Europe is like a person who weighs the pros and cons repeatedly before making an important decision, not daring to make a hasty one. Geopolitical and economic considerations behind Japan’s rare earth ambitions. Japan’s extensive efforts in the rare earth field have both geopolitical and economic drivers. From a geopolitical perspective as a US ally, Japan has always wanted to raise its status in international affairs. By being active on the rare earth issue, it can demonstrate its value to the US and gain more political support. Japan also wants to enhance its voice in the global supply chain by making breakthroughs in the rare earth sector, reducing its dependence on other countries, and strengthening its national security. From an economic perspective, the rare earth industry is the foundation for the development of future high-tech industries. If Japan can succeed in rare earth mining and processing, it will not only meet the needs of its domestic high-tech industries and lower production costs, but also export related technologies and products, creating new economic growth points. Japan’s automotive, electronics, and other industries are highly dependent on rare earths, and solving the rare earth supply problem is crucial for the stable development of these industries. However, Japan’s ambitions are fraught with difficulties. In international competition, countries are all vying for rare earth resources and technological advantages, and Japan faces competition from countries in regions such as the US, Europe, and Australia. Moreover, Japan’s efforts in rare earths will also attract China’s attention and response. China has strong capabilities and a complete supply chain in the rare earth sector and will not easily allow Japan to break the existing landscape. Japan’s rare earth ambitions are like an adventure full of challenges. The attitudes of the US and Europe toward Japan have both the potential for cooperation and many concerns. This reflects the complex situation of global resource competition, geopolitical maneuvering and intertwining economic interests. In this process, countries are constantly adjusting their strategies for their own interests. And the tiny element of rare earth has become a key factor influencing global technological development and international relations. That’s all for today’s discussion on Japan’s efforts in the rare earth field. If you have any thoughts on this topic, feel free to leave a comment and let’s have a chat.

Why Is Japan’s Deep-Sea Rare Earth Mining Drawing Attention?Why Are the Attitudes of the US and Europe So Complex?
Recently, there’s been big news in the global resource sector. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) announced that in January 2026, it plans to conduct the world’s first experimental drilling for rare earths at a depth of 5,500 meters in the waters around Minamitorishima Island. As soon as this news broke, countries around the world took notice. Why? You see, rare earths are the “master key” of modern technology, indispensable for everything from electric vehicle batteries to high-end electronic chips and the manufacturing of advanced weapons. So, why is Japan choosing this moment to embark on such a difficult deep-sea rare earth mining plan? And more importantly, how will the US, Europe, and other Western allies view this move by Japan?
Is Japan’s effort in the rare earth sector a genuine attempt to break China’s dominance in the global rare earth market and become the “vanguard” of the Western alliance against China? Or is this just wishful thinking on Japan’s part, a “solo act” in the grand chess game of global resource competition that no one really cares about? Today, we’re going to dig deep into the details and see whether Japan’s rare earth ambitions are a prized possession or a hot potato in the eyes of the US and Europe.

Japan’s Rare Earth Predicament and Attempts to Break It
Japan has always been a resource-poor country, and when it comes to rare earths, it is almost entirely dependent on imports. In 2010, due to the Senkaku Islands dispute, Japan faced restrictions on rare earth exports from China. This was a harsh “lesson” for Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which keenly felt the pain caused by the rare earth supply shortage. Since then, “rare earth decoupling” has become a consensus from top to bottom in Japan. No matter which political party is in power, this issue is a top priority.
For years, Japan has been “sparing no effort” to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths. In technology R&D, Japanese scientists have been looking for new methods. For example, they discovered that they could use salmon milt to effectively extract rare earths and created “microorganism capsules” that can extract rare earths from industrial wastewater. Honda has also successfully used electrolysis to extract rare earth materials from used nickel-metal hydride batteries in hybrid cars, achieving recycling of automotive fuel cells. In resource exploration, Japan has set its sights on the ocean. A large rare earth reserve has been discovered in the waters around Minamitorishima Island, with an estimated 16 million tons, ranking it third globally. Furthermore, Japan didn’t just discover the rare earths; it’s also been steadily