A vast deposit of rare earth minerals has been found in the Pacific seabed within the Japanese exclusive economic zone (EEZ) off the island of Minami　Torishima -€ some 2,000 kilometers (1,250 miles) south of Tokyo. Mud samples taken from the seabed 5,600 meters (about 18,000 feet) down are of “superb quality,” registering a rare earth density of between 1,000 and 1,500 ppm (parts per million) -€ several times higher than rare earth depots found in China, whose density averages 400 ppm. The discovery was made by a team led by Yasuhiro Kato, an earth science professor at Tokyo University.

　　　Thrilled by the news, I wasted no time in calling on the professor in his laboratory at Tokyo University to hear what he had to say about the discovery and what the future holds for Japan. It was a memorable 90 minutes, in which the burning passion of this dedicated geologist to “do something for Japan” was very strongly conveyed to me.

　　　Prior to announcing the discovery that mud extracted from the seabed near Minami Torishima contained a high density of rare earth minerals, Kato and his colleagues published a report in the British journal Nature Geoscience last July, noting that mud mined in French Tahitian waters contained similar precious minerals. Kato said he was seriously alarmed by China’s export control of rare earths as a ploy to intimidate Japan following a September 2010 maritime dispute over the violation by a Chinese fishing boat of Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. So he vowed to do what he could in his own way as a geologist to help break the virtual Chinese monopoly of the world’s rare earth market. This determination prompted him to accelerate Team Kato’s full-fledged search for rare earth minerals begun four years before in the Japanese EEZ off Minami Torishima. The team worked very hard, eventually managing to draft totally on their own an English-language report for submission to Nature Geoscience.

　　　Kato admitted it was no easy task for him and his fellow geologists -€ all Japanese — to write an English thesis for one of the world’s leading science journals. But the report, ascertaining that undersea mud in the French Tahitian waters offers “almost limitless possibilities” as a new source of natural resources for the world, was accepted by the journal’s editorial board and circulated around the world. Kato and his colleagues are truly a team of samurai who deserve to be credited with having successfully challenged China’s monopoly of rare earths.

　　　At the time, the team wisely decided against revealing the stunning find near Minami Torishima. Explains Kato: “As regards rare earths from the seabed near Minami Torishima, we first reported the find to the Ministry of Economy and Industry (MEI) five years ago, and have since been requesting government support in exploration and research. We were waiting for the government to position our exploration as a national project and finance completion of a full survey, so the project would be well under way before the Chinese would get wind of what was going on.”

“I Simply Love My Country”

　　　Kato and his team members are still anxiously waiting for support from the MEI. In the meantime, the international community has continued to be dependent on China, which accounts for 97% of the world’s rare earth output. Taking advantage of its position as the world’s sole supplier, China has continued to utilize rare earths as a potent strategic commodity, demanding that high technology be transferred in exchange. In fact, a number of Japanese companies have been -€ and are being -€ compelled to go ahead with transfer of home-grown technology as a last resort.

　　　Kato thought it would be a shame for Japan, a technological superpower, to see its proud technology lost to China -€ a resource-supplying nation. He felt such a move would seriously weaken Japan’s position as an industrial power -€ something that must be avoided at all costs in the best interests of the future generations of Japanese. He has anxiously waited for the MEI to back his project, but the ministry has to date refused to budge an inch. The bureaucratic red tape has not, however, discouraged him; the ministry’s seeming indifference has prompted him to resolve to try harder, making up his mind to do everything he can as a scientist under the circumstances. “I simply love my mother country,” he says. “It is only natural for me, a scientist, to do my best for the good of Japan.”

　　　With funds extended by private Japanese corporations, Kato’s team forged ahead with a deep-sea probe off Minami Torishima, finally confirming the existence of a huge reserve of high-quality rare earth metals on the seabed. The passion of Kato and his colleagues has won out, proving a boon to resource-hungry Japan.

　　　Compared with rare earths from on-shore deposits, mud extracted from the seabed of Minami Torishima 5,600 meters below the surface, has more than a few advantages. First and foremost, it contains a great deal more heavy rare earths.

　　　Rare earths comprise 17 chemical elements roughly divided into light rare earths and heavy rare earths; the latter are valued particularly highly as the raw material used in hybrid cars, electronics components, magneto-optical disks, and ecology-related technology. Without heavy rare earths, state-of-the-art military technology would not be possible. Under-sea mud containing rare earths is the reservoir for future industries of the 21^st century.

　　　One big advantage of rare earths from the bottom of the sea over their on-shore counterparts is that they are almost devoid of radioactive elements, such as thorium and uranium, that inevitably accompany rare earths retrieved from on-shore deposits. This difference -€ between undersea deposits and on-shore deposits -€ has to do with the different processes in which the rare earths are formed. On-shore rare earths represent a concentration of various mineral substances created by magmatic activity, including radioactive elements. It is extremely difficult to properly remove radioactive elements in retrieving rare earth metals, particularly thorium, without causing hazard to humans and the environment. For this particular reason, extraction of rare earths from on-shore deposits is not done in the US, although rare earth deposits abound across North America.

　　　Meanwhile, China simply goes ahead with extraction of rare earths, paying absolutely no attention whatsoever to the radioactive consequences. As a result, there have been reports of the serious effects on public health in Inner Mongolia, where there are a large number of rare earth deposits, but this has been of no concern to the Chinese government. By contrast, there is no worry about rare earths found in deep-sea mud, as they are formed from the concentration of rare earth elements only, and there is no radioactivity.

　　　Another big advantage is the ease with which retrieval of rare earth elements can be done in the sea through a method known as “leaching,” which uses hydrochloric acid. In China, on the other hand, tons of ammonium sulfate, an acute acid, is injected into a whole mine to liquefy rare earths, which are then retrieved in tubes as they flow into the impermeable strata of the granite. This method allows most of the acid to flow into paddies and rivers nearby to wreak havoc on the environment and human health. Clearly, the Chinese method poses a major problem to begin with, but no such hazardous method is required in the under-sea retrieval of rare earth metals. Explains Kato:

　　　“Under-sea mud is comprised of very fine particles, just like in a facial mud pack. Shortly after diluted hydrochloric acid is injected into the sediment, most rare earths can be satisfactorily retrieved. After retrieval, we can put the mud back into the sea by neutralizing it with sodium hydroxide, which creates no environmental burden.”

“On a Scale That Boggles the Imagination”

　　　This mud might indeed be called “dream mud,” and it is found in abundance in the seas off our island of Minami Torishima. The island is triangular, measuring 7.6 kilometers (slightly less than 5 miles) in circumference. Japanese Self Defense Force personnel are stationed permanently on the island, which has a solid runway. In every respect, the island is a legitimate Japanese territory that no nation, including China, can ever attempt to lay its hands on.

　　　According to a trial calculation by Prof. Kato, one mining vessel alone can mine deep sea mud to the tune of 10,000 tons a day, which translates into roughly 3,000,000 tons a year -€ out of which an equivalent of about 10% of Japan’s annual consumption of rare earths will be retrieved. When it comes to dysprosium, among the most important heavy rare earths, 20% of Japan’s annual consumption is expected to be secured with only one mining ship operating. Rare earths thus extracted are estimated to be worth a whopping 70 billion (US$875 million).

　　　The entire amount of deep sea rare earths off Minami Torishima has been reported to equal some 200 years of Japan’s annual consumption, but Kato stresses that is too conservative a guess, pointing out the reserve is more realistically “on a scale that boggles the imagination.” He hints at a possibility that “between 10 to 100 times” that amount -€ or equivalent to 20,000 years’ of Japan’s national consumption 窶妬s dormant under the sea off the island.

　　　The stunning discovery by Kato and his colleagues could be the force behind a major change in the international market for rare earths, which is now controlled by China. That is why China, its monopoly jolted violently by the recent report of the discovery, had one of its media outlets (the China Economic Network; July 1, 2011) criticize Team Kato’s achievements, claiming that “seabed rare earths are unfit for industrial use” and “the news is old hat -€ we have been aware of it for a long time.” No matter how shocking the discovery may be to the Chinese, however, it is strictly their business and we should be absolutely unconcerned about how they may react further.

　　　Japan, which has suddenly learned about the existence of one of the world’s richest reserves of deep-sea rare earths within its own EEZ, has finally gained the leverage with which to check China’s outrageous behavior. The power the recent discovery has given Japan to act as a flag bearer in shaping strategies for the future industries of the world is truly significant. The Japanese government must commit all its resources to fully support Professor Kato and his team in order to take full advantage of this stroke of great luck so Japan can make a giant step forward as a responsible and reliable Asia-Pacific power. Should Japan fail to maximize the impact of this most expedient “gift from the sea,” its dignity and integrity will truly be put to shame.

(Translated from “Renaissance Japan” column no. 519 in the July 26, 2012 issue of The Weekly Shincho)