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August 12, 2026
 

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MINAMITORISHIMA

A large drill is seen on the deep-sea drilling ship Chikyu off the coast of Minamitorishima island, a coral atoll some 1,900 kilometers from Tokyo, in this image released Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2026
Japan identifies large share of rare earths in deep-sea mud off remote island
An analysis of mud from off Minamitorishima island found medium and heavy rare earth elements accounted for about 54% of the total rare earth content.
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is off-limits to the general public.
JAPAN / Society
May 21, 2026
Survey begins to determine remote island¡¯s suitability for nuclear disposal site
Â鶹´«Ã½ waste management organization will carry out a literature review on the geology of Minamitorishima, located nearly 2,000 kilometers from Tokyo.
Samples of rare earth-bearing mud extracted from the seabed around Minamitorishima island in February are examined.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 7, 2026
Japan tackles challenges of seafloor rare earth mining, eyeing economic security
In February, Japan succeeded in a test collection of rare earth-bearing mud from a depth of 6,000 meters below sea level near the remote Japanese island of Minamitorishima.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa (right) and Masaaki Shibuya, mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, at the industry ministry on Tuesday
JAPAN
Apr 22, 2026
Government will proceed with nuclear waste site survey for Minamitorishima
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa conveyed the government¡¯s decision to the mayor of the island village of Ogasawara, which has jurisdiction over Minamitorishima island, on Tuesday.
Minamitorishima has no resident population and is closed to the general public.
JAPAN
Apr 13, 2026
Survey of Minamitorishima greenlit to check suitability for radioactive waste disposal
The central government is searching for a permanent disposal site for radioactive waste from Â鶹´«Ã½ nuclear power plants.
Ogasawara Mayor Masaaki Shibuya will meet residents on April 13 to outline his response to a government request on surveying a potential nuclear waste site on Minamitorishima.
JAPAN
Apr 2, 2026
Ogasawara chief to clarify stance on nuclear waste site survey
Some participating residents expressed concerns about the possibility of the facility damaging the environment and causing rumors harmful to the entire Ogasawara Islands.
The government hosts a meeting for residents of Chichijima island in Tokyo's Ogasawara chain to explain the possibility of conducting a first-stage survey for a final disposal site for highly radioactive waste on another island in the chain.
JAPAN
Mar 15, 2026
Japan government briefs Ogasawara islanders on nuclear waste plan
This was the first such briefing session related to the possible choice of Minamitorishima island as a final disposal site.
Katsumoto Yoshimura, an official from the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, and Masaaki Shibuya, mayor of Ogasawara Village, met to discuss a survey on the use of Minamitorishima island as a site for nuclear waste disposal.
JAPAN / Politics
Mar 3, 2026
Minamitorishima island considered for initial nuclear waste disposal survey
The government is seeking cooperation from Ogasawara village, which administers the remote island.
The Chikyu, the deep sea drilling vessel operated by the Japan Agency for Marine Earth-Science and Technology, has been on a mission to pull metal-bearing mud from the seabed.
JAPAN / FOCUS
Feb 12, 2026
Japan steps up deep-sea mining plan to cut rare-earth dependence
An ambitious initiative to accelerate a decade-old plan has been given extra impetus by the country¡¯s drive to cut reliance on Chinese supply.
The Chikyu, a Japanese deep-sea drilling vessel, has retrieved sediment containing rare earth from ocean depths of 6,000 meters.
JAPAN
Feb 2, 2026
Japan says it found rare earth in sediment retrieved on deep-sea mission
The mission was the world¡¯s first bid to tap deep sea rare earths at such a depth, the government said, as Japan seeks to curb dependence on China for the valuable minerals.
Japan's drilling-equipped research vessel Chikyu departs from Shimizu port in Shizuoka Prefecture on Monday to conduct a test recovery of mineral-rich mud near Minamitori Island, marking the world¡¯s first attempt to continuously lift rare earth seabed sludge from a depth of about 6 kilometers onto a ship.
JAPAN
Jan 12, 2026
Japan sets sail on rare earth hunt as China tightens supply
A mining ship has departed for a remote coral atoll to probe mud rich in critical minerals ¡ª 6 kilometers deep on the seabed.
An official from the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology explains the agency's plan to conduct a test to excavate the deep seabed off Minamitorishima and collect deep-sea mud, in Tokyo on Tuesday.
JAPAN
Dec 24, 2025
Japan to test deep-sea extraction of rare-earth mud
The test is set to be the first of its kind in the world, reaching depths of about 6,000 meters, according to JAMSTEC.
Satellite view of Minamitorishima Island
JAPAN
Nov 7, 2025
Japan and U.S. to join forces to mine rare earths near Pacific island
The move comes after the two allies struck an agreement to work together to cut their reliance on China for the critical material.
Minamitorishima
JAPAN
Jul 25, 2024
Ground Self-Defense Force eyes missile training on remote Tokyo island
The GSDF is holding talks with local communities in hopes of starting missile training on Minamitorishima in 2026.
Professor Yasuhiro Kato of the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo (center right) and Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of the Nippon Foundation (left), hold manganese nodules, a seafloor resource found in the waters surrounding Minamitorishima, Tokyo, on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Jun 22, 2024
Over 200 million metric tons of rare metals found near remote Tokyo island
The sea-bottom mineral concentrations abundantly contain rare metals such as cobalt and nickel ¡ª both essential for lithium-ion batteries.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
Gut bacteria may be behind many of Â鶹´«Ã½ colorectal cancer cases
A Japanese research team found that a toxin produced by certain E. coli strains, colibactin, caused genetic mutations in nearly half of colorectal cancer cases studied
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Strong wind and heavy rain forecast as tropical storm approaches Japan
Tropical Storm Chan-hom is expected to make landfall in northern Kanto between late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
Where do foreign residents in Japan want to die?
The Yokohama Foreign General Cemetery is one of the few cemeteries in Japan that allows burials, albeit with conditions for the deceased, including foreign nationality and permanent residency in Kanagawa Prefecture.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.

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