Ministry of International Trade and Industry
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry ( Jap. 通商産業省 , Tsusho-Sangyo-shō ), in an international context generally MITI for M inistry of I nternational T rade and I ndustry abbreviated, was a Ministry of Japan and is considered a crucial architect of economic boom in Japan in the post-war period . In 2001, it was replaced by what is now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry .
Tasks and responsibilities
The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry was established in 1949 from the merger of the Trade Agency and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The aim was to curb post-war inflation and control measures to restore industrial productivity and employment. MITI had the main responsibility for the formulation and implementation of international trade agreements, but always sought consensus with other parties involved, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. MITI also coordinated trade policy in relevant areas with the Economic Planning Office ( 経 済 企 画 庁 , Keizai-kikaku-chō ), the Bank of Japan , and the Ministries of Agriculture, Construction, Forestry and Fisheries, Health and Social Affairs, Post and Telecommunications, and Transport . As international trade increased, the base broadened, giving the other ministries more weight. In addition, the competences of the MITI were curtailed by the Commission for Fair Trade ( 公正 取 引 委員会 , Kōsei-Torihiki-Iinkai ), the Parliament and the Prime Minister. As a result, MITI had less control over Japanese foreign trade in the late 1980s than it did in the 1950s and 1960s.
In addition to export and import, MITI was also responsible for those companies and areas that were not explicitly covered by other ministries, namely in the areas of fixed assets , pollution control , energy supply , some aspects of foreign economic aid, and customer complaints. This enabled the MITI to strike a balance between interests, for example between the containment of environmental pollution and competitiveness in exports, and thus keep the disadvantages for the export industries low.
Coordination of "Japan AG"
The MITI served as the architect of industrial policy, as a regulator, and as a mediator in problems and disagreements in industry. The main focus of the ministry was on strengthening the country's industrial base. To speak of a managed economy goes too far, but it has provided the economy with formal and informal guidance in the areas of technology, modernization, investment in new equipment, and domestic and international competition.
The close relationship between the ministry and business leaders has led to a foreign trade policy that is closely linked in many areas with efforts to strengthen the domestic economy. The MITI supported the early development of all key industries by providing protective mechanisms against import competition, industrial espionage, assistance with the licensing of foreign technologies, access to foreign exchange and assistance with mergers.
This policy of promoting domestic industry and protecting it from international competition was strongest in the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1970s, Japanese industry was competitive in many areas, so control of the MITI was no longer needed to that extent. Some of the methods were also outdated, so the companies now had enough foreign capital themselves.
Foreign criticism and market opening
In some cases, MITI even had to slow down the industry. The Japanese auto industry was so successful in the US market that from 1981 the Japanese issued voluntary import quotas to avert criticism from the American auto industry and the unions.
Even the protectionism had to be reduced, especially under pressure from the World Trade Organization and the United States . In the 1980s, MITI was involved in measures to open the market and promote imports, and an office for import promotion was established within the ministry. The close relationship between MITI and industry allowed the ministry to play such a role in opening up markets. The conflicting interests between market opening and the promotion of new, growing domestic industries remain.
The economic crisis of the 1990s
A new development resulted from the long period of stagnation in the 1990s, when many government funding programs did not have the desired effect. In particular, reference should be made here to the case of Nissan , when a foreign company got involved in the second largest Japanese automobile manufacturer and successfully restructured it using "Western" methods. This will not remain without consequences for the rest of the industry.
In 2001, the MITI under the Central Government Reform with was economic planning department and the business departments of other ministries merged and METI (Engl. M inistry of E conomy, T rade and I ndustry , dt. Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) renamed.
Minister ( 通商 産業 大臣 , tsūshō-sangyō-daijin )
| # | Surname | Kanji | cabinet | Taking office | Political party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inagaki Heitaro | 稲 垣 平 太郎 | Yoshida III | May 25, 1949 | Democratic Party |
| 2 | Ikeda Hayato | 池田 勇 人 | Feb. 17, 1950 | (Democratic) Liberal Party | |
| 3 | Takase Sōtaro | 高 瀬 荘 太郎 | Apr 11, 1950 | Ryokufūkai | |
| 4th | May 6, 1950 | ||||
| 5 | Yokoo Shigemi | 横 尾 龍 | Yoshida III (1st transformation) | June 28, 1950 | Liberal Party |
| 6th | Takahashi Ryutaro | 高橋 龍 太郎 | Yoshida III (2nd transformation) | 4th July 1951 | Ryokufūkai |
| Yoshida III (3rd transformation) | Dec 26, 1951 | ||||
| 7th | Ikeda Hayato | 池田 勇 人 | Yoshida IV | Oct. 30, 1952 | Liberal Party |
| 8th | Ogasawara Sankurō | 小 笠原 三九 郎 | Nov 29, 1952 | ||
| 9 | Dec 5, 1952 | ||||
| 10 | Okano Kiyohide | 岡野 清 豪 | Yoshida V | May 21, 1953 | |
| 11 | Aichi Kiichi | 愛 知 揆 一 | Jan. 9, 1954 | ||
| 12 | Ishibashi Tanzan | 石橋 湛山 | Hatoyama I | Dec 10, 1954 | Liberal Democratic Party |
| 13 | Hatoyama II | 19 Mar 1955 | |||
| 14th | Hatoyama III | Nov 22, 1955 | |||
| - | Ishibashi Tanzan (acting) | Ishibashi's cabinet | 23 Dec 1956 | ||
| 15th | Mizuta Mikio | 水田 三 喜 男 | 23 Dec 1956 | ||
| 16 | Kishi I | Feb 25, 1957 | |||
| 17th | Maeo Shigesaburō | 前 尾 繁 三郎 | Kishi I (transformation) | July 10, 1957 | |
| 18th | Takasaki Tatsunosuke | 高 碕 達 之 助 | Kishi II | June 12, 1958 | |
| 19th | Ikeda Hayato | 池田 勇 人 | Kishi II (transformation) | June 18, 1959 | |
| 20th | Ishii Mitsujirō | 石井 光 次郎 | Ikeda I | July 19, 1960 | |
| 21st | Shiina etsusaburō | 椎 名 悦 三郎 | Ikeda II | Dec 8, 1960 | |
| 22nd | Satō Eisaku | 佐藤 榮 作 | Ikeda II (1st transformation) | July 18, 1961 | |
| 23 | Fukuda Hajime | 福田 一 | Ikeda II (2nd transformation) | July 18, 1962 | |
| Ikeda II (3rd transformation) | July 18, 1963 | ||||
| 24 | Ikeda III | Dec 9, 1963 | |||
| 25th | Sakurauchi Yoshio | 櫻 内 義 雄 | Ikeda III (remodeling) | July 18, 1964 | |
| 26th | Satō I | Nov 9, 1964 | |||
| 27 | Miki Takeo | 三 木 武夫 | Satō I (1st transformation) | June 3, 1965 | |
| Satō I (2nd transformation) | Aug 1, 1966 | ||||
| 28 | Kanno Watarō | 菅 野 和 太郎 | Satō I (3rd transformation) | Dec 3, 1966 | |
| 29 | Satō II | Feb. 17, 1967 | |||
| 30th | Shiina etsusaburō | 椎 名 悦 三郎 | Satō II (1st transformation) | Nov 25, 1967 | |
| 31 | Ōhira Masayoshi | 大平 正芳 | Satō II (2nd transformation) | Nov. 30, 1968 | |
| 32 | Miyazawa Kiichi | 宮 澤 喜 一 | Satō III | Jan. 14, 1970 | |
| 33 | Tanaka Kakuei | 田中 角 榮 | Satō III (transformation) | 5th July 1971 | |
| 34 | Nakasone Yasuhiro | 中 曽 根 康弘 | Tanaka I cabinet | July 7, 1972 | |
| 35 | Tanaka II | Dec 22, 1972 | |||
| Tanaka II (1st transformation) | Nov 25, 1973 | ||||
| Tanaka II (2nd transformation) | Nov 11, 1974 | ||||
| 36 | Kōmoto Toshio | 河 本 敏夫 | Miki | Dec 9, 1974 | |
| Miki (transformation) | Sep 15 1976 | ||||
| 37 | Tanaka Tatsuo | 田中 龍 夫 | Fukuda | Dec. 24, 1976 | |
| 38 | Kōmoto Toshio | 河 本 敏夫 | Fukuda (reshuffle) | Nov 28, 1977 | |
| 39 | Esaki Masumi | 江 崎 真澄 | Ōhira I | 7th Dec 1978 | |
| 40 | Sasaki Yoshitake | 佐 々 木 義 武 | Ōhira II | Nov 9, 1979 | |
| 41 | Tanaka Rokusuke | 田中 六 助 | Suzuki | 17th July 1980 | |
| 42 | Abe Shintaro | 安 倍 晋太郎 | Suzuki (transformation) | Nov. 30, 1981 | |
| 43 | Yamanaka Sadanori | 山 中 貞 則 | Nakasone I | Nov. 27, 1982 | |
| 44 | Uno Sōsuke | 宇 野 宗佑 | June 10, 1983 | ||
| 45 | Okonogi Hikosaburō | 小 此 木 彦 三郎 | Nakasone II | Dec. 27, 1983 | |
| 46 | Murata Keijirō | 村田 敬 次郎 | Nakasone II (1st transformation) | Nov 1, 1984 | |
| 47 | Watanabe Michio | 渡 辺 美智 雄 | Nakasone II (2nd transformation) | Dec 28, 1985 | |
| 48 | Tamura Hajime | 田村 元 | Nakasone III | July 22, 1986 | |
| 49 | Takeshita | Nov 6, 1987 | |||
| 50 | Mitsuzuka Hiroshi | 三 塚 博 | Takeshita (transformation) | Dec. 27, 1988 | |
| 51 | Kajiyama Seiroku | 梶 山 静 六 | U.N | June 3, 1989 | |
| 52 | Matsunaga Hikaru | 松 永 光 | Kaifu I | Aug 10, 1989 | |
| 53 | Mutō Kabun | 武 藤 嘉文 | Kaifu II | Feb 28, 1990 | |
| 54 | Nakao Eiichi | 中 尾 栄 一 | Kaifu II (remodeling) | Dec 29, 1990 | |
| 55 | Watanabe Kozo | 渡 部 恒 三 | Miyazawa | Nov 5, 1991 | |
| 56 | Mori Yoshirō | 森 喜 朗 | Miyazawa (reshuffle) | Dec 12, 1992 | |
| 57 | Kumagai Hiroshi | 熊 谷 弘 | Hosokawa | Aug 9, 1993 | Renewal Party |
| - | Hata Tsutomu (acting) | 羽 田 孜 | Hata | Apr 28, 1994 | |
| 58 | Hata Eijirō | 畑 英 次郎 | Apr 28, 1994 | ||
| 59 | Hashimoto Ryūtaro | 橋本 龍 太郎 | Murayama | June 30, 1994 | Liberal Democratic Party |
| Murayama (transformation) | Aug 8, 1995 | ||||
| 60 | Tsukahara Shimpei | 塚 原 俊平 | Hashimoto I | Jan. 11, 1996 | |
| 61 | Satō Shinji | 佐藤 信 二 | Hashimoto II | Nov 7, 1996 | |
| 62 | Horiuchi Mitsuo | 堀 内 光 雄 | Hashimoto II (remodeling) | Sep 11 1997 | |
| 63 | Yosano Kaoru | 与 謝 野 馨 | Obuchi | July 30, 1998 | |
| Obuchi (1st transformation) | Jan. 14, 1999 | ||||
| 64 | Fukaya Takashi | 深谷 隆 司 | Obuchi (2nd transformation) | Oct 5, 1999 | |
| 65 | Mori I | Apr 5, 2000 | |||
| 66 | Hiranuma Takeo | 平沼 赳 夫 | Mori II | 4th July 2000 | |
| Mori II (reshuffle) | Dec 5, 2000 |
literature
- Chalmers Johnson: MITI and the Japanese Miracle: The Growth of Industrial Policy, 1925-1975 . Stanford 1982, ISBN 0804711283
Coordinates: 35 ° 40 ′ 19.6 ″ N , 139 ° 45 ′ 3.2 ″ E
