The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) was established in May 1949 as a result of reorganization of the former Ministry of Commerce and Industry.MITI covers a wide range of industrial fields, including basic industries (steel, new chemical materials, bioindustries, etc.), machinery and information industries (electronic equipment, robots, automobiles,information processing, aerospace, etc.) and consumer goods industries (textile, fine ceramics, household goods, housing materials, etc.). At the same time, it is in charge of affairs related to foreign trade, high technologies, environmental protection and industrial location, energy and other areas.
MITI's organization is grid-like. Cross-sector concerns such as trade, industry, environmental protection, industrial location, and energy policy are administered "horizontally" for industry as a whole. Sector-specific issues for basic
industries, machinery and information industries, and consumer goods industries are administered "vertically," concentrating on the specific sector concerned.In MITI, close coordination between the different bureaus ensures a broad perspective on domestic and international economic policies and careful attention to individual industries.
Every ten years since the 1960's, MITI has prepared its economic and industrial vision for the next decade. It outlines both domestic and international economic and social prospects and the direction of the Ministry's trade and industrial policies.
The main focus in the 1960's was on fostering heavy and chemical industries and in the 1970's on promoting knowledge-intensive industries. In its vision for the 1980's, the Ministry made energy security a priority and placed greater emphasis on technology with a view toward establishing creative knowledge-intensive industries. In this way, MITI has put forward the basic concepts for Japanese economic policies which are in line with those of the international community.
In July 1990, The Nineties' Policies Committee of the Industrial Structure Council published its report entitled "International Trade and Industrial Policy in the 1990s." This report asserts that the foundation for economic growth should be secured from a long-term viewpoint and that Japan should contribute more to the international community. It also emphasizes the importance of paying more attention to the quality of life of the Japanese people.MITI's trade and industrial policies require new approaches and new actions. In view of this, MITI is endeavoring to better understand domestic and international trends and to formulate and implement positive and flexible policies for coping with future problems.