Japan is racing to reduce its reliance on Chinese rare earths — from dredging the seabed to inventing new magnets — as its prime minister visits the White House this week.
Copyright 2026 NPR
Anthony Kuhn
Anthony Kuhn is NPR's correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea, reporting on the Korean Peninsula, Japan, and the great diversity of Asia's countries and cultures. Before moving to Seoul in 2018, he traveled to the region to cover major stories including the North Korean nuclear crisis and the Fukushima earthquake and nuclear disaster.