“While the initiative will face technological and financial hurdles, analysts say developing the natural resources within Japan’s maritime exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is crucial to the country’s economy and national security.”
“Tokyo’s urgency to cut its dependence on imported strategic minerals led the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology to deploy a research ship in February to the remote island of Minamitorishima to retrieve rare earth sediments from a depth of 5,700 metres (18,700 feet).”
“The island, about 1,950km (1,211 miles) southeast of Tokyo, is the easternmost part of Japan.”
“Japan also plans to expand the extraction mission next year in a bid to scoop up 350 tonnes of seabed sediment per day.”
“In an article published by Nippon.com, Kobayashi [senior research fellow, Sasakawa Peace Foundation] also warned of another challenge: ‘the threat of interference from China’, pointing out that the aircraft carrier Liaoning entered Japan’s EEZ southwest of Minamitorishima ‘quite possibly with the aim of deterring Japan’s [rare earth] exploration efforts’.”