In 2024, Japan was ranked second in iodine production, accounting for 28% of the world’s production (excluding the United States, estimated), selenium (20%, excluding the United States, estimated), titanium sponge (15%, excluding the United States, estimated), and refined tellurium (7.1%, excluding the United States, estimated); third in production of refined cadmium (6.9%, estimated), refined indium (6.0%), pig iron (4.8%), raw steel (4.5%), refined bismuth (3.1%, estimated), and gallium (0.35%, estimated); fourth in refined copper (5.7%) and bromine (4.6%, excluding the United States, estimated); and sixth in lime (1.4%) and arsenic (less than 1%, estimated). Other mineral commodities produced included aluminum, antimony, cement, cobalt, ferroalloys, germanium, gold, lead, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, platinum-group metals, rare-earth oxides, silver, sulfur, tantalum, talc, tin, tungsten, vanadium, and zinc.
The manufacturing, construction, and mining sectors accounted for 19%, 5.3%, and 0.1%, respectively, of Japan’s gross domestic product in 2024. The legislative framework for the mineral sector in Japan is provided by the 1950 Mining Act (No. 289 of 1950), as last amended by the 2011 Mining Act (No. 84 of 2011). Major agencies overseeing the mineral industry of Japan include the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, under the Ministry of Economy Trade and Industry; and the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security. Japan’s mineral industry was primarily owned and operated by private companies. The mining industry was minimal in scale, with the Hishikari gold mine in Kagoshima Prefecture, owned and operated by the Sumitomo Group, being the only active metal mine in Japan in 2024. Japan’s processing of ferrous and nonferrous metals, particularly critical minerals, were mainly operated by large domestic companies including Dowa Metals & Mining Co. Ltd., JX Advanced Metals Corp., Mitsui Group, Mitsubishi Group, and Sumitomo Group. The presence of foreign companies was minimal in the metal processing sector, with an exception being Vale Japan Ltd., which was owned and operated by the Vale S.A. of Brazil. Vale Japan was the majority-owner of the Matsusaka plant, which produced intermediate nickel products (nickel oxide) and had the Sumitomo Group as a minority shareholder.
