Politics
Funding for deep-sea extraction could amount to hundreds of billions of yen
The Chikyu, a deep-sea drilling vessel tasked with developing rare-earth resources from the seabed near Minamitorishima. (Photograph by Ryoko Shimonoya)
SACHIKO KAWAHARA
August 26, 2026 03:03 JST
TOKYO — Japan plans to overhaul a funding program aimed at advancing technology linked to economic security, with the goal of supporting a sustained initiative to mine rare-earth elements from the seabed and lessen dependence on China.
