Production at 6,000 Meters Deep
Minamitorishima (Marcus Island), Japan’s easternmost point, is located approximately 1,900 km from the mainland. This remote island’s seabed has become the epicenter of a national project aimed at transforming Japan from a resource-scarce nation into a global resource powerhouse.
There is a clear reason behind Japan’s recent confidence in countering China’s weaponization of resources. As of late 2025, this project has moved beyond mere exploration and entered a full-scale execution phase for actual mining.
The Backbone: SIP, a Cross-Ministerial National Project
The driving force behind this massive undertaking is the Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP), led by the Cabinet Office of Japan. SIP is a cross-ministerial initiative designed to concentrate budget and manpower on core technologies that will define Japan’s future, aiming to bridge the gap between basic research and commercialization.
Over the past decade, SIP has meticulously advanced through three key stages:
Phase 1 (2014–2018): Focused on developing next-generation marine resource survey technologies, specifically sensors to efficiently locate hydrothermal deposits.
Phase 2 (2018–2022): Developed innovative deep-sea survey technology, including the core “6,000m-depth rare earth mud lifting” system.
Phase 3 (2023–Present): Transitioned to the commercialization phase under the theme of “Marine Resources and Economic Security,” aimed at creating a profitable environment for private companies
Rare Earth Potential: Outperforming China’s Reserves
High concentrations of rare earth-rich mud are distributed across the seabed at depths of 5,500m to 6,000m within Japan’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) around Marcus Island.
Resource Scale: Estimated at 16 million tons, enough to satisfy global demand for hundreds of years. This represents the world’s third-largest potential reserve.
Core Components: Rich in heavy rare earths like Neodymium (Nd) for EV motors, and Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb), which maintain magnetism at high temperatures.
Concentration: Certain areas exceed 5,000 ppm, making them more competitive than land-based mines in China.
The Technology: Lifting Mud from 6,000 Meters Below
Retrieving mud from 6,000 meters deep is a technical feat comparable to space exploration. Japan has systematized this into three stages:
Collection: Subsea equipment gathers the mud and mixes it with seawater to create a fluid slurry.
Vertical Lifting: A high-performance pumping system sends the slurry to the surface via a pipeline thousands of meters long, connected to the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu. The key is withstanding water pressure 600 times greater than at sea level.
Onboard Processing: On the ship, moisture is removed and core elements are concentrated to maximize transportation efficiency, while waste is managed.
Economic Feasibility: A Highly Profitable Venture
Technological advancements have finally addressed the long-standing issue of profitability.
Cost vs. Value: The technology keeps extraction costs at approximately 20,000 JPY per ton.
Projected Revenue: If the value of rare earths extracted from one ton of high-concentration mud exceeds 500,000 JPY, the venture becomes highly profitable.
Market Impact: Once commercial production stabilizes, it could create a new market worth 1 trillion JPY annually, significantly contributing to Japan’s GDP.
Economic Security: Ending the "Resource Hostage" Crisis
As China tightened export regulations on rare earths and critical minerals in 2025, Japan’s sense of urgency peaked. This project serves as the ultimate solution.
Independence from China: Success at Marcus Island will allow Japan to achieve complete self-sufficiency in heavy rare earths.
Strategic Location: Since the site is within Japan’s EEZ, there is virtually no risk of international territorial disputes.
Industry Support: A stable supply of rare earths will bolster the global competitiveness of Japan’s key sectors, including automotive, wind energy, and defense.
Remaining Challenges: Extreme Environments and Ecology
Despite the progress, hurdles remain. Equipment must withstand extreme pressure without failure, and the project must meet international standards regarding the impact of deep-sea “turbidity” (clouded water) on ecosystems.
The Japanese government is providing large-scale subsidies to participating companies to overcome these challenges. The test results in 2026 will be a major turning point, determining if Japan can truly liberate itself from China’s resource pressure and emerge as a resource superpower.
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