The Japanese government has discovered over 16 million mt of "rare earth mud" on the seabed surrounding Minamitorishima Island, with approximately half of it being medium-heavy rare earth. The government plans to commence the development of this rare earth mud after 2025. In April, it announced the initiation of a connection test for the "mud collection pipe" designed to retrieve rare earth mud from a depth of 6,000 meters in the deep sea, with the hope of perfecting the production system after 2028. However, the technology for seabed extraction is not yet mature, and industrial applications face various technological challenges. Additionally, the impact on the ecosystem must also be considered.