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July 06, 2026
 

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METALS

Gold badges distributed to Fukuoka Prefectural Assembly members after the April 2023 election. The prices for both types doubled from four years ago.
JAPAN / Politics / Regional Voices: Kyushu
Feb 19, 2024
Gold assembly badges worth millions of yen unreturned in Kyushu
Each elected member receives a new badge for every election and is supposed to return them on losing an election or retiring from politics.
One way to cut the steel industry’s emissions is to recycle more iron and steel products than the world currently does.
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 25, 2024
What steel decarbonization needs
One way to cut the industry’s emissions is by recycling more iron and steel products than we currently do.
Workers disassemble vehicle battery packs in a workshop in Dongguan, China.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 22, 2023
China bans export of rare earths processing tech over security
China has significantly tightened rules guiding exports of several metals this year, in an escalating battle with the West over control of key minerals.
Scientists discovered what they described as widespread and dangerous levels of toxic chromium in areas of Northern California severely burned by wildfires in 2019 and 2020.
ENVIRONMENT / Energy
Dec 15, 2023
Wildfires are unleashing dangerous metals from soil, study shows
Firefighters and anyone living downwind of a wildfire would be at most immediate risk if chromium 6 becomes airborne.
A Komatsu dump truck at the Oyu Tolgoi copper-gold mine in Khanbogd, the South Gobi desert, Mongolia
BUSINESS / Tech
Nov 14, 2023
China tightens grip on copper, key to world’s energy transition
China’s copper smelting capacity will increase by another 45% by 2027
An employee operates at a production facility of Zaporizhstal Iron and Steel Works, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, this month.
BUSINESS / Companies / ANALYSIS
Oct 27, 2023
Ukraine’s once-mighty steel sector choked by export blockade
Until producers can get steel to markets via the Black Sea, where Russia continues to pose a threat to shipping, there is little prospect of recovery.
Asteroid mining only works in a science-fiction world where metals are thousands of times more expensive than they are today.
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 25, 2023
Commercial asteroid mining has a astronomical cost issue
Asteroid mining only works in a science-fiction world where metals are thousands of times more expensive than they are today.
A lithium mine near Itinga, Minas Gerais state, Brazil
COMMENTARY / World
Oct 6, 2023
We’re not even close to running out of green minerals
Rising reserves challenge fears of mineral shortages in green transition.
Gold prices in Japan are hovering around a record high of ¥10,000 per gram — up around 18% since January.
BUSINESS / Markets
Sep 12, 2023
Gold bugs in Japan reaping rewards as yen weakness persists
Domestic prices for the precious metal are now hovering around a record high of ¥10,000 per gram — up around 18% since January.
The Environment Ministry plans to launch a survey in fiscal 2024 on how manufacturers recycle plastics and metals contained in industrial waste.
JAPAN
Aug 28, 2023
Japan to conduct survey on closed-loop recycling
Closed-loop recycling is spreading in recent years on the back of improvements in technology to remove impurities from recyclable waste.
The impact of China's latest metal curbs will likely be limited, experts say, as the United States is already looking for alternative supply chains.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics / ANALYSIS
Aug 11, 2023
China’s gallium curbs to have limited impact on U.S. defense
China said the recent export controls are necessary to safeguard national security, but experts believe this is a way for the country to hit back at U.S.
Green marks the spot where a fissure formed, then fused back together in this artistic rendering of nanoscale self-healing in metal. Red arrows indicate the direction of the pulling force that unexpectedly triggered the phenomenon.
WORLD / Science & Health
Jul 21, 2023
Self-healing metal? It’s not just the stuff of science fiction
Scientists have witnessed pieces of pure platinum and copper spontaneously heal cracks caused by metal fatigue during nanoscale experiments.
Japan Times
WORLD
Jul 13, 2023
A showdown in Jamaica is deciding the fate of the deep ocean
Seabed mining has the potential to become a trillion-dollar industry as the transition to electric vehicles spurs demand for metals like cobalt and nickel.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jul 11, 2023
As demand for rare metals rises, rush to mine seabed prompts calls for moratorium
Governments are racing to obtain a secure supply of critical minerals for low-carbon technologies, but have also made major commitments to protect nature.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 6, 2023
Xi’s metal curbs risk backfiring as G7 seeks China alternative
China’s decision to control the export of two key metals showed it has some power to retaliate against the U.S., Japan and Europe, but the measure is also a double-edged sword.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 4, 2023
China restricts export of chipmaking metals in clash with U.S.
Gallium and germanium, along with their chemical compounds, will be subject to export controls meant to protect Chinese national security starting Aug. 1, China’s Ministry of Commerce said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jul 3, 2023
Advances in solar panel technology set to squeeze silver supply
The precious metal, in paste form, provides a conductive layer on the front and the back of silicon solar cells, and newer cells may need up to twice as much per watt of power generated.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jun 23, 2023
Smaller aerospace suppliers scramble for titanium and workers in shadow of travel boom
Labor shortages and delays are expected to remain a key concern for planemakers and large suppliers for more than a year.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 23, 2023
Lithium producers warn supplies may not meet global EV demand
Staffing shortages, inflation and delays in issuing mine permission may hinder efforts to source enough of the battery metal to meet aggressive electrification timelines.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 5, 2023
Copper mine flashes warning of ‘huge crisis’ for world supply
Insiders say that the sheer length of time involved in bringing on new mines can rarely be shortened, even when exploration money is spent and a deposit found.
Thailand gets serious about chasing high-spending tourists
Chinese tourists at Wat Arun Ratchawararam Rathawaramahawihan in Bangkok
Murakami says his novels are ‘different’ from AI literature
Haruki Murakami's first book in three years hit shelves in Japan on Friday.
Japan’s princesses face life-altering legal revisions
Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito, said in a 2022 news conference upon coming of age that she hopes to “spend a long time together” with her parents.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
Micron breaks ground on $9 billion western Japan plant expansion
Micron Technology’s factory in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture
Okinawa’s prized seaweed under threat as oceans warm
Local harvesters gather <i>mozuku</i> during low tide at Hyakuna Beach in the city of Nanjo, Okinawa Prefecture. As the planet warms, rising ocean temperatures are placing increasing pressure on the seaweed industry.
‘Defense,’ not ‘warfare,’ stressed as pacifist Japan beefs up capabilities
Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attends an annual training session near Mount Fuji at Higashifuji Training Field in Gotemba, Shizuoka Prefecture, on June 7.
Japan plans to sharply raise fees for residence permits from October
Foreign tourists walk on the path leading to the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto in May.
X Games returns to Chiba with new team format
Skateboarder Sora Shirai practices at Makuhari Messe in Chiba on Friday afternoon. X Games Chiba begins on Saturday.
NU Festival tests Takanawa Gateway City complex’s culture cred
Veteran improvisers Kazuo Imai and Atsuhiro Ito brought some unruly energy to NU Festival, a three-day multimedia event held at the Takanawa Gateway City complex.  

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