Govt aims to extract rare earths from 6,000 meters under the sea

The deep earth exploration vessel Chikyu is seen at Shimizu Port in Shizuoka in October 2018. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Extracting rare earths from mud in the seabed 6,000 meters undersea is being considered by the government.

Domestic procurement of such mineral resources, which are essential for the production of electronic devices, is important for the nation to break its dependence on imports of rare earths from China.