Test collection of rare earths from 5,500 meters below the sea surface to begin in January
More than a decade after discovering vast rare earth deposits near one of its remote Pacific islands, Japan is moving closer to commercial deep-sea resource extraction. According to Nikkei Asia (paywall), a pilot test is set to begin in January 2026. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) will deploy a scientific vessel to a site 100 to 150 kilometers off Minami-Torishima, a small coral island roughly 1,950 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. The crew will lower a pipe 5,500 meters to the seabed to retrieve 35 metric tons of mud, which is estimated to contain 2 kilograms of rare earth elements per ton.
JAMSTEC previously conducted a successful test in 2022 off the coast of Honshu, Japan’s largest island, though that operation reached only half the now-planned depth (we reported). The upcoming project, if successful, could pave the way for full-scale extraction.
Minami-Torishima Island is a remote Pacific island roughly 1,950 kilometers southeast of Tokyo. Map data ©2025 Google
Japan’s seabed is believed to contain vast, untapped reserves of valuable minerals. The area surrounding Minami-Torishima alone is estimated to hold up to 16 million tons of rare earth elements. In the past, Japan has repeatedly emphasized its goal of establishing a commercial deep-sea mining industry by the end of the decade. Besides rare earth mud deposits, the Exclusive Economic Zone around Minami-Torishima is also estimated to hold numerous tons of so-called polymetallic nodules, potato-sized rocks containing critical minerals such as manganese and cobalt.
Photo: Remains via Canva