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Estimated Rare Earth Reserves (Minamitorishima)
Comparison of supply years based on current consumption rates for specific rare earth elements found in the Minamitorishima deposit.
Primary Sources
Japan's Ocean Industrial Complex: Deep-Sea Robots, Blue Carbon, and ...
🌊 Japan ranks 61st in land area. But its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is the sixth largest in the world — making it a true ocean superpower. Beneath those waters lie rare earth minerals critical for high-tech industries. Seaweed forests quietly absorb CO2. And deep-sea robots are opening a frontier that was previously unreachable. The Japan Research Institute (JRI) has proposed an "Ocean Industrial Complex" — a grand vision that ties these three pillars together to fundamentally reshape the Japanese economy. What Is the "Ocean Industrial Complex"? In a February 2026 policy paper addressed to Prime Minister Takaichi's administration, JRI outlined the Ocean Industrial Complex as a flagship economic project. The concept goes far beyond traditional ocean development. The idea is to build a new industrial supply chain where energy production, resource extraction, and materials manufacturing share a single ocean-based platform. The ripple effects would reach into automotive, electronics, medical, and food industries — turning profits inward to domestic circulation while strengthening economic security and revitalizing regional economies. The three pillars are: Deep-sea robotics: Developing unmanned submersibles and work robots capable of operating thousands of meters below the surface Rare earth and rare metal mining: Industrializing the estimated 16 million tons of rare earth mud in the EEZ around Minamitorishima (Marcus Island) Blue carbon: Integrating seaweed-based CO2 absorption into Japan's national decarbonization strategy JRI positions this as a project that can transform Japan's economic weaknesses — resource scarcity and energy dependence — into strengths. Pillar 1: Rare Earths — A Historic Breakthrough at 6,000 Meters In February 2026, something historic happened. The deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu ("Earth") successfully extracted rare earth mud from approximately 6,000 meters below the ocean surface near Minamitorishima. Rare earths are a group of 17 elements — including neodymium, dysprosium, and yttrium — essential for EV motors, wind turbine generators, smartphones, and military systems. Often called "industrial vitamins," they are indispensable yet overwhelmingly controlled by China, which produces roughly 70% of global supply. In 2025, China tightened export controls on seven rare earth types as a retaliatory trade measure, making supply vulnerability a tangible threat. The EEZ around Minamitorishima contains an estimated 16 million tons of ...
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Deep-sea race heats up as China, Japan hunt rare earth resources
In February, a Japanese test mission successfully extracted rare-earth-rich mud from a depth of 6,000 meters (19,700 feet) near Minamitori Island in the western Pacific Ocean.
China Sends Carrier Near Japan's Rare Earth Island: Is the Pacific ...
China's carrier Liaoning conducted flight operations near Minamitorishima — Japan's remote rare earth island. With Beijing tightening export controls in retaliation for PM Takaichi's Taiwan remarks, and a US-Japan rare earth partnership signed at the March 2026 summit, this is no longer just about minerals. It's a geopolitical power game with South China Sea parallels.
