Japan has successfully retrieved deep-sea mud rich in rare earth elements from nearly 6,000 meters below the Pacific near Minamitorishima, a remote coral atoll about 1,900 km southeast of Tokyo. The month-long trial, conducted by Japan Agency for Marine Earth-Science and Technology using the drilling vessel Chikyu, confirmed that the seabed mud contains yttrium, europium, terbium, and dysprosium—minerals critical to everything from electric vehicles to military hardware. Surveys have identified deposits sufficient to cover centuries of Japan’s domestic demand. If the technology scales, a full mining operation could begin as early as 2027, offering Japan and allied countries an alternative to the supply chains currently dominated by China.