A Japanese mining ship departed on Monday for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in rare earths, part of Tokyo's drive to curb its reliance on China for critical minerals as Beijing tightens supply. Japan is no stranger to facing China's wrath over rare earths. The Minamitori Island project, however, is the first to attempt to source rare earths domestically. "The fundamental solution is to be able to produce rare earths inside Japan," said Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute. The Minamitori Island project, into which the government has sunk 40 billion yen ($250 million) since 2018, is also a long-term play.

Source: The Telegraph January 12, 2026 05:51 UTC