Japan Mining Deep-sea Critical Minerals
Japan’s push to develop deep-sea critical minerals presents emerging opportunities for U.S. companies specializing in deep-sea engineering, subsea robotics, marine sensors, and environmental monitoring software. Expanded U.S.–Japan cooperation also encourages American firms to identify partnership opportunities with Japanese and international researchers, state institutions, and industry active in seabed mining.
The Government of Japan has made securing critical mineral supply chains, which are vital for Japan’s high-tech manufacturing, a top national security priority within its comprehensive economic roadmap. To reduce its reliance on foreign markets for nearly all of its Rare Earth Elements (REEs), Japan is targeting over $2.4 trillion in combined public private investments by fiscal 2040 and driving aggressive efforts to pioneer domestic deep-sea mining technologies to ensure resource self-sufficiency.
Recognizing the need for U.S. cooperation to achieve its goals in the critical minerals space, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) signed a Memorandum of Cooperation on Deep-Sea Mineral Resource Development in March 2026. This agreement establishes a robust framework for allied collaboration to develop resilient, secure, and independent mineral supply chains through subsea resource exploration.
This national push has already produced a technical milestone for Japan. The Minamitorishima deep sea project, located about 1,148 miles southeast of central Tokyo within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, successfully extracted approximately 50 tons of rare earth mud from depths exceeding 5,500 meters during exploration trials in early 2026. The official analysis results, announced on July 24, 2026 by a joint research group of the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), and Japan Agency for Marine Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), confirmed rich concentrations of valuable heavy rare earth elements such as yttrium, dysprosium, gadolinium, neodymium, and terbium. An upcoming 2027 study plans to extract 350 tons of mud per day. The aim is to commercialize the deposit by 2028.
A great opportunity to engage on critical minerals in Japan is at the 54th Underwater Minerals Conference (UMC 2026) at the Toyama International Conference Center from November 8 to 13, 2026. The conference will bring together government, research, and industry stakeholders working on seabed mineral exploration, subsea technologies, and environmental monitoring. U.S. firms are encouraged to participate to showcase their capabilities, assess market needs, and identify potential Japanese and international partners
If you are interested in more information, please contact U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy Tokyo and the U.S. Consulate Osaka-Kobe at office.tokyo@trade.gov.