Beijing leads the global market for the rare-earth minerals used in everything from batteries to missiles.
Since a diplomatic dispute last year related to China's claim to Taiwan, Beijing has imposed sterner controls on exports to Japan of certain products, including some rare earths.
Japan and Germany "will work to diversify sources of critical minerals and develop alternative supply sources, while also taking steps to protect critical technologies", Takaichi said during a joint media appearance with Merz.
The leaders did not mention China directly, but said in a joint statement that they had "grave concerns on the increasing use of economic coercion, such as arbitrary export restrictions and retaliatory measures on critical minerals".
They vowed to "work together to ensure that attempts to weaponise economic dependencies fail".
Takaichi said in November that Japan could consider intervening militarily in the event of an attack on Taiwan, the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its territory.
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