In recent years, multiple key industries in Japan have fallen into what is being called a ‘rare earth anxiety.’ Rare earth elements are essential raw materials for manufacturing high-tech products such as electric vehicles, wind turbines, smartphones, and precision weapons. However, over 60% of the world’s rare earth supply comes from China, which strictly regulates its exports—posing a significant concern for Japan, a country heavily reliant on imports. Since 2023, escalating geopolitical tensions and growing supply chain uncertainties have heightened fears among Japan’s automotive, electronics, and defense sectors about potential disruptions to rare earth supplies. To address this vulnerability, the Japanese government has launched several strategic initiatives: accelerating partnerships with countries like Australia and Vietnam to develop overseas rare earth resources, investing heavily in recycling technologies to extract rare earths from discarded electronics, and encouraging domestic companies to develop alternative materials that reduce or eliminate rare earth dependency. Nevertheless, completely decoupling from Chinese rare earths in the short term remains unrealistic. Experts emphasize that Japan must strike a balance among supply diversification, technological innovation, and international cooperation to build a more resilient rare earth supply chain.
近年来，日本多个关键行业正陷入‘稀土焦虑’。稀土元素是制造电动汽车、风力涡轮机、智能手机、精密武器等高科技产品不可或缺的原材料。然而，全球约60%以上的稀土供应来自中国，且中国对稀土出口实施严格管控，这使高度依赖进口的日本倍感不安。2023年以来，随着地缘政治紧张加剧和供应链不确定性上升，日本汽车、电子、国防等产业纷纷担忧原材料断供风险。为缓解这一困境，日本政府已启动多项战略：一方面加速与澳大利亚、越南等国合作开发海外稀土资源；另一方面大力投资回收技术，试图从废旧电子产品中提取稀土。此外，日本企业也在积极研发减少或替代稀土使用的新材料。尽管如此，短期内完全摆脱对中国稀土的依赖仍不现实。专家指出，日本需在多元化供应、技术创新与国际合作之间寻求平衡，以构建更具韧性的稀土供应链。
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