Japan Targets 2027 for Rare Earth Mining Off Minami-Tori Island to Reduce China Dependence

According to reports from Kyodo News and Nikkei, Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae instructed on June 29, 2026, the government to begin rare earth mining and testing operations off Minami-Tori Island in Tokyo's Ogasawara region by fiscal 2027. The project aims to reach a production scale of at least 350 tons per day of rare earth-containing clay sediment at depths of approximately 5,600 meters.

The Japanese government plans to allocate 900 billion yen (approximately $5.9 billion USD) toward rare earth and manganese nodule development as part of broader ocean resource initiatives through 2040. The rare earth extraction push is designed to reduce Japan's reliance on Chinese supplies for critical minerals essential to economic security.