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 codevelop 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.