Japan discovered huge treasure, enough for hundreds of years

Japan has discovered a rare earth mineral deposit of millions of tons, ensuring the industrial development of this island until hundreds of years later.

Information on the above discovery is published by scientists from Tokyo University and the Ocean and Earth Science and Technology Agency (JAMSTEC) in the scientific journal Scientific Reports on April 10.

The study shows that mud from the seabed off Ogasawara Islands, 2,000km southeast of Tokyo, contains high density of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY), some of which amount to nearly 8,000 parts per million.

Nishinoshima Island of Ogasawara Islands is located in the mineral mine detection area.(Photo: Asahi).

"This REY rich mud has great potential to become rare earth metal resources because of its enormous mass and beneficial mineral properties" - the report said. Researchers have delineated a 400-square-kilometer seabed area estimated to contain 16 million tons of rare earth oxide. Not only that, the number of yttrium, europium, terbium and dysprosium in this area is enough to meet domestic demand for hundreds of years.

Europium is an important factor in the development of phosphor and ceramics and has many applications in defense and atoms. Terbium and dysprosium are also important in defense, ceramics and advanced magnets.

The study also confidently affirmed that the mineral deposit "has the potential to provide these metals on an endless sale basis to the world". Although there are many obstacles that need to be overcome before the minerals are put into use, the Japanese government seems to promise to develop this resource.

Stephen Nagy, professor of international relations at International Christian University in Tokyo, said Japan wants to protect its resources so that it does not have to depend on other countries. According to Nagy, Tokyo has invested heavily in finding the seabed in the exclusive economic zone to detect the mineral deposits.