Politics
Rare Earth Mud, Rerouted Chinese Tourists, and a Nuclear History Mix-Up
About 50 tons of mud recovered off Minamitorishima was reported to contain medium and heavy rare earths making up roughly 54% of its total rare earth content, raising hopes of reducing dependence on China. On the same day, reports said Chinese tourists had shifted to South Korea after Beijing urged citizens to avoid Japan, and a 17-year-old influencer claimed China had fired nuclear weapons at Japan. Commenters swung between resource optimism, cost skepticism, and corrections of basic history.