U.S. President Donald Trump shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during a bilateral meeting at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Oct. 28, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters
Japan and the United States will work to codevelop rare earth mining around the waters of Japan’s Minamitori Island, also known as Marcus Island, in the western Pacific, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told a parliamentary session on Nov. 6.
“We will consider specific ways to promote cooperation between Japan and the United States on rare earth development … around Minamitori Island,” Takaichi said.
