THE MINERAL INDUSTRY OF JAPAN By John C. Wu Japan is located in East Asia between the North Pacific Ocean The mining sector was the smallest sector of Japan’s industry- and the Sea of Japan (East Sea), east of the Korean Peninsula. based economy. According to the Government statistics on The country’s total area is 377,835 square kilometers, and its the GDP at constant prices classified by economic activities population as of October 1, 2004, was estimated to be 127.7 of Japan’s national accounts, the percentage contribution of million. Japan was one of the most highly industrialized and the mining sector to Japan’s GDP was only 0.2% in 2003 (the technologically advanced countries in the world. Its economy latest year for which data were available). The percentage ranked second in the world with a gross domestic product contribution to Japan’s GDP by the mineral industry, which (GDP) of $4.7 trillion ($3.8 trillion based on purchasing power included processing industries of chemicals (2.0%), petroleum parity); its per capita GDP was $36,574 ($29,906 based on and coal products (1.1%), iron and steel (1.0%), fabricated purchasing power parity) in 2004 (International Monetary Fund, metal products (0.9%), industrial mineral products (0.7%), 2005§1; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, and nonferrous metals (0.4%), and the mining (0.2%) industry, 2005§). however, was 6.3% (Economic and Social Research Institute, Japan has limited indigenous mineral resources and relied 2005b§). heavily on imports of mineral fuels and a wide variety of The mineral industry was important to the Japanese economy nonfuel minerals and mineral products to meet the raw material because of its contribution to the GDP and the vital role it requirements of its large manufacturing and utility (electricity played in supplying primary materials not only to its own and gas) sectors. The country, however, has substantial construction and manufacturing sectors, but also to those in indigenous mineral resources of such industrial minerals as China, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan in northeast Asia and dolomite, iodine, limestone, pyrophyllite, and silica (table 3). to such members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations The production capacities of Japan’s chemical, construction (ASEAN) as Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, material, electricity, and ferrous and nonferrous metals Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. industries in the manufacturing and utility sectors were among The Japanese economy, as measured by real GDP in 2000 the largest in the world. These industries in the manufacturing constant prices, grew by 1.9% in fiscal year 2004 (from April sector processed imported raw materials and produced a 2004 to March 2005) following a positive growth of 2.0% broad category of mineral products, which included chemical (revised) in fiscal year 2003. Japan’s real GDP growth in compounds, construction materials, ferrous metals, fertilizer calendar year 2004 was estimated to be 2.7% compared with materials, industrial minerals, inorganic chemicals, nonferrous 1.4% in calendar year 2003. The higher growth in 2004 was metals, petrochemicals, and refined petroleum products largely owing to a 2.6% growth in private demand as a result for domestic consumption by downstream industries in the of increased private nonresidential (plant and equipment) manufacturing and construction sectors and for export to the investment and increased exports of goods and services world markets. The electricity and gas industries used imported (Economic and Social Research Institute, 2005a§). coal, natural gas, petroleum, and uranium and other nuclear In 2004, Japan’s industrial production, as measured by fuel materials to produce electricity and processed natural the indices of mining and manufacturing, increased by 5.6% gas to meet the energy requirements for the construction, compared with 3.3% in 2003. The number of unemployed manufacturing, mining, and other sectors of the economy. workers in Japan decreased to 3.2 million from 3.5 million In 2004, Japan was one of the world’s top importers and in 2003, and the total labor force decreased to 66.4 million consumers of primary aluminum, cadmium metal, coal, from 66.67 million in 2003. As a result, the unemployment cobalt metal, copper ore and metal, diamond, ferrochromium, rate in Japan decreased to 4.7% from 5.3% in 2003. Japan’s ferronickel, fluorspar, gallium metal, gold metal, iron ore, merchandise trade surplus rose to $110.5 billion from $87.9 ilmenite and rutile, indium metal, lead ore and metal, lithium billion in 2003. The Japanese yen appreciated by 7.2% to metal, manganese ore and metal, magnesium, liquefied natural ¥108.17 against $1.00 in 2004. As measured by the consumer gas (LNG), nickel ore and metal, crude petroleum, platinum- price index, Japan’s rate of change in the consumer price index group metals, phosphate rock, potash, rare earths, industrial salt, was unchanged in 2003 compared with the rate of deflation of silicon metal, silver metal, tungsten ore, tin metal, zinc ore and 0.3% in 2003 (Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training, metal, and zircon. Japan was one of the world’s major exporters 2005§). of cement, refined copper, inorganic chemicals, compound fertilizers, iodine, electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD), high- Government Policies and Programs purity rare (minor) metals, iron and steel, and titanium sponge metal and titanium mill products. To secure stable and efficient supply of mineral resources, Japan promoted exploration and development of minerals overseas and encouraged domestic metals recycling. 1References that include a section mark (§) are found in the Internet The Metal Mining Agency of Japan (MMAJ) and the state- References Cited section. owned Japan National Oil Corp. (JNOC) merged in February 2004. JAPAN—2004 12.1 As a result, the new Government organization under the JBES budget originated from the METI; a typical annual budget supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry for a JBES project was between $100,000 and $1 million. (METI), which is called Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Operation and management of each JBES project budget must Corp. (JOGMEC), was established with the objective of securing conform to the Japanese fiscal year (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals a stable supply of oil, gas, and nonferrous metals to Japan. To National Corp., 2004). achieve this objective, JOGMEC would provide assistance by offering its knowledge, information, and technological expertise Environmental Issues to support Japanese companies at various stages between the acquisition of exploration and production rights and production; Japan stopped mining asbestos in 2002. A total ban on would assume responsibility for the management of the national asbestos was announced in 2002 following many years of stockpile of crude oil, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and rare sporadic and variably effective measures intended to control metals; and would support activities to control mine pollution. its use. Asbestos-related illness made headlines in 1982 when According to JOGMEC, the 2004 budget for metals-related a local press published a hospital study which concluded activities (excluding oil and gas) totaled about $75 million with that about one-third of 848 deaths over 5 years in Yokosuka a staff of about 200 professionals; 35 of those were geologists. in Kanagawa Prefecture were caused by asbestos-related lung JOGMEC’s metals-related activities included providing mineral cancer. Yokosuka has long been the site of a U.S. naval base and resources information services, conducting domestic and the shipbuilding industry. Following the discovery that asbestos overseas geologic surveys, financing domestic and overseas from a decommissioned U.S. Navy ship had been dumped by a mineral exploration and development projects, supporting roadside, public awareness grew and made asbestos a major issue technology development projects, stockpiling rare metals of concern across Japan (Furuya, Natori, and Ikeda, 2003). (chromium, cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, tungsten, To response to the situation, the Ministry of Health, Labor and vanadium), conducting mine pollution control activities, and Welfare announced in June 2002 that the Government and cooperating with developing countries on economic growth would introduce a total ban on chrysotile asbestos. As to when (Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corp., 2004). and how the ban would be implemented was not determined. To contribute to a stable supply of mineral resources to Japan In 2003, a report of the Technical Committee on Substitute and to accelerate mineral production and economic growth in for Asbestos was released followed by the hearing from the developing countries, the former MMAJ started a new mineral Asbestos Institute and Canadian Government (Canada was a exploration program, which is called the Joint Basic Exploration major asbestos supplier to Japan) and the public comments on Scheme (JBES), with a $5 million budget in fiscal year 2003. the ban. After the deliberation of the Labor Policy Council in JOGMEC continued the JBES program and increased its annual September 2003, the amended Enforcement Order of Industrial budget to $8 million in fiscal year 2004 and was expected to Safety and Health Law (ISHL) was proclaimed in October 2003 increase its annual budget to $11 million in fiscal year 2005. and was enforced beginning on October 1, 2004. According to According to JOGMEC, the overseas mineral exploration