Japan, US to Develop Rare Earth Mining Around Pacific Island

In April 2018, a Japanese research team discovered an estimated 16 million tons worth of rare earth deposits in the deep-sea mud off Minamitori Island.

U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Oct. 28, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Japan and the United States will work to co-develop rare earth mining around the waters of Japan’s Minamitori Island, also known as Marcus Island, in the western Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a parliamentary session on Nov. 6.

“We will consider specific ways to promote cooperation between Japan and the United States on rare earth development ... around Minamitori Island,” Takaichi said.