The initiative, led by a government-backed project, aims to reduce reliance on imports and strengthen national security.

The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science ...

While rich mineral deposits promise centuries of supply, critics argue Japan’s deep-ocean venture risks an irreversible ‘race to the bottom’.

Japan plans to begin pioneering test mining for rare-earth-rich mud from the deep seabed in January next year, the head of the government-backed project told ...

Japan will begin test mining for rare-earth-rich mud from the deep seabed off Minamitori Island, some 1,900 kilometres (1,180 miles) southeast of Tokyo, in January next year, the head of the ...