In a major breakthrough for resource independence, Japan’s Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology announced today that it has successfully collected mud containing rare earth elements from the deep ocean floor. The extraction took place at a depth of 5,600 meters near Minamitori Island.

These minerals are essential for the production of electric vehicle batteries, smartphones, and advanced military hardware. Japan's success in deep-sea mining could drastically reduce the world's reliance on current dominant suppliers and reshape the global tech manufacturing landscape.

The government plans to launch a commercial-scale extraction project by 2027. Environmental groups have already called for transparency regarding the impact of such deep-sea operations on marine ecosystems, leading to a heated debate in the Japanese Diet today.