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July 01, 2026
 

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RARE EARTHS

Japan has adopted an action plan to mobilize ¥1 trillion in public and private investment by 2030 to secure recycled resources and promote the reuse of plastics and metals amid intensifying global competition.
JAPAN
Apr 21, 2026
Japan to invest ¥1 trillion to secure recycled resources
The plan is designed to promote the reuse of discarded plastics and metals.
The U.S. is recasting its national security strategy around economic resilience and Western Hemisphere priorities as it confronts vulnerabilities exposed by dependence on critical Chinese minerals, supply chains and key inputs.
COMMENTARY / World / Geoeconomic Briefing
Apr 19, 2026
Why economic security is central to U.S. national security
No previous U.S. national security strategy has incorporated economic security to this extent. Why, then, has it become so prominent during Trump’s second term?
Blocks with symbols and atomic numbers of rare earth elements
BUSINESS
Apr 11, 2026
EU and U.S. near critical minerals deal to combat Chinese control
The potential deal would create incentives, such as minimum prices, that could advantage non-Chinese suppliers, according to a draft of an “action plan.”
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo on Feb. 18.
JAPAN
Apr 4, 2026
Takaichi plans Australia visit to discuss rare earths, report says
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will also discuss ‌cooperation on safe navigation ​in the Strait of Hormuz and regional security issues.
Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa speaks to reporters in Tokyo on Sunday after a two-day forum on energy security in the Indo-Pacific region.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 16, 2026
Japan and U.S. to work together to prevent critical mineral disruptions
The two countries will work to prevent supply disruptions for critical minerals resulting from possible export restrictions by resource-producing countries.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions during a budget committee session of the House of Representatives at Parliament in Tokyo on Monday.
JAPAN
Mar 14, 2026
Japan and U.S. to confirm cooperation on key minerals
The Japanese and U.S. governments are working to issue a joint document on the matter, informed sources said.
The U.S., Japan and the EU are preparing to announce plans to lay the groundwork for a critical minerals trade deal that could include a price floor and tariffs to counter market distortions by China.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2026
U.S. critical minerals talks advance with EU and Japan on price floor
Global efforts to diversify critical minerals supply chains intensified after Beijing last year imposed sweeping export controls, including on rare earths.
The Lynas Rare Earths processing plant in Kalgoorlie, Australia
BUSINESS / Companies
Mar 11, 2026
Lynas surges 15% after revamp of rare earths deal with Japan
The commitment of Japan to pay guaranteed long-term prices for the critical materials is the latest sign of the enduring impact of China’s supply squeeze.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attends a Lower House Budget Committee session on Friday where Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi urged officials to consider creating a "China-free" supply chain for defense equipment.
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 27, 2026
Koizumi urges pivot away from China for defense equipment supply chain
The defense minister underlined the importance of boosting self-reliance following Beijing’s ban on exporting dual-use items to Japan.
Japan's drilling-equipped research vessel, Chikyu, departs from Shimizu port, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Jan. 12 to conduct a test recovery of rare earth-rich mud near Minamitori Island.
JAPAN / Politics / EXPLAINER
Feb 27, 2026
What is Japan’s potential for domestic rare earth mining?
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government aims to eventually mine and industrialize rare earths at home, but the timing, investment costs and viability of the project are unknown.
A worker sorts dismantled electronic parts at Ecowork, an e-waste recycling facility in Ghaziabad, India, on Feb. 12.
ENVIRONMENT / Sustainability
Feb 18, 2026
Junk to high-tech: India bets on e-waste for critical minerals
Global worries about China’s dominance as a critical minerals producer has galvanized New Delhi to ramp up extracting materials essential for it to become an AI hub.
The government’s top spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, told a news conference Monday that it is necessary to update the country's "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" to better respond to "the changing times.”
JAPAN / Politics
Feb 16, 2026
Japan to strengthen Indo-Pacific strategy amid ‘new challenges’
Updates to the FOIP strategy will include sections focused on bolstering economic security and working on emerging technologies with “like-minded” partners.
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 Tanbreez rare earth minerals site near Narsarsuaq, Greenland. The United States has unveiled a critical-minerals partnership with Japan and the European Union.
BUSINESS / Economy
Feb 5, 2026
U.S., EU and Japan unveil critical-minerals partnership
Critical minerals include rare earth metals, which are key to the production of goods like smartphones, fighter jets and electric cars.
The Tanbreez rare earth minerals near Narsarsuaq, Greenland
BUSINESS
Feb 4, 2026
EU to offer U.S. critical minerals partnership to check China
Both the U.S. and EU have become tethered to abundant, cheap Chinese minerals, giving Beijing leverage over their supply chains.
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.
A mine containing rare earth minerals in northern China
JAPAN
Jan 30, 2026
Japan struggling to reduce rare earth dependence on China
As part of its backlash against Takaichi’s remarks about a possible Taiwan contingency, the Chinese government has shown signs of restricting Japan-bound exports of the minerals.
Industry minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks to reporters during the World Economic Forum's annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 22, 2026
Japan and EU affirm cooperation for stable supply of critical minerals
Both sides have agreed to accelerate collaboration on the matter in both public and private sectors by providing financial support, industry minister Ryosei Akazawa says.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, flanked by Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Shunichi Suzuki (left) and LDP Vice President Taro Aso, attend a party meeting at LDP headquarters in Tokyo's Nagatacho district on Tuesday.
JAPAN / Politics
Jan 21, 2026
LDP uses election manifesto to pledge stable rare earths supply amid China row
The ruling party says it will also accelerate talks on eliminating the current 8% consumption tax on food for two years as Japan grapples with inflation.
A refinery for a rare earth metal on the outskirts of Wuxi, China. Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan in December fell 8% from November.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jan 20, 2026
Chinese exports of rare earth magnets to Japan fell in December ahead of curbs
A diplomatic spat had left concerns about future shipments, and Beijing has since banned exports to Japan of some dual-use materials.
Uruguay federation reportedly cancels charter flight after World Cup exit
Uruguay's Jose Maria Gimenez reacts after the team's loss against Spain at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday.
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
India’s gig workers pay the price for exposure to New Delhi’s hazardous air
Rohit Kushwaha waits for a customer as he delivers his last parcel of the day, in New Delhi in January. His work as a delivery driver has helped pay the family’s bills, but has had a significant impact on his health.
Life inside Japan’s largest prison for women
Western-style rooms spanning the size of four tatami mats with hardwood floors, a toilet and soft mattresses on bed frames are designated for foreign nationals and those with health conditions at Tochigi Prison.
Yen hits 40-year low against the dollar, breaking ¥162 level
Japan's currency broke ¥162 to the dollar on Tuesday in Tokyo.
Japan’s fertility system offers few safe paths for same-sex couples
A Tokyo Pride parade participant holds a sign that says "we want to be a married couple, not a couple."
Inside Japan’s rigid adoption system, a British family finds a way
James Benstead, his wife, Jesse, and their three children. Their adopted son is in the rear stroller.
A French ship with close ties to Japan combines arts and sciences on the high seas
Romain Troublé, the executive director of Tara Ocean Foundation, speaks to visitors aboard the Tara during a rare port call in Tokyo in April.
In Kyushu’s far south, Senti.U sparks a culinary destination
Chef Yasuhiko Uchida was born in Saga Prefecture but has made his home in Kanoya, Kagoshima Prefecture, since 2012.
‘The colors speak for themselves’: How Japan’s chroma bible went global
“A Dictionary of Color Combinations” is meant to function as a quick-reference guide for artists, designers and anyone with a passing interest in aesthetics as a quantifiable pursuit.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

The Terasaka Rice Terraces are seen with Mount Buko in the background.
What Yokoze can teach Japan about rural revival
By Alex K.T. Martin

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