Introduction The period after the Second World War saw the rise of Japan through the development of its economy, mainly because of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s effective trade and industrial policies. In the aftermath of the war, Japan was ranked as a less developed nation with significantly low national income, unstable economy and weak human capital (Kohama 2007). In order to understand the MITI and Japan’s success, it is important to critically analyse the role that the ministry played in the development of economic and industrial policies. The important role of the MITI The poor situation compelled the government to implement measures with a long-term view of developing the economy and sustain its population. Then, under the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, the government developed a comprehensive strategy for opportunity creation and growth both locally and internationally. In order for the MITI to achieve excellent results, it worked with other ministries and government agencies in Japan. In addition, it did not ignore the important role played by the private sector in industrialization and development of countries. The role of the MITI after the World War II was very remarkable in helping the country to rebuild from the negative impact of the war. For example, it played crucial roles in reducing the rate of inflation, increasing the number of job opportunities, providing the government with pragmatic solutions with regard to improving the quality of lives of the citizens. The ministry played a leading role in collaboration with the ministries of finance and foreign affairs as well as other stakeholders to formulate and execute international policies for conduction of trade. Together with the economic planning stakeholders, the ministry coordinated policy development on aspects that affect Japan’s interests. As time progressed, other government departments played a growingly significant role in bargaining at the international level. The ministry was important in managing export and important matters of the country, which were aimed at increasing the GDP of Japan. It also supported locals business to acquire equipment and other assets vital for businesses. In order to ensure that customers were being provided with high quality products, the ministry documented complaints from customers and approached the affected businesses so that they could increase the quality of products or customer services. The position achieved in the coordination of different areas of business and industry enabled the ministry to reconcile conflicting policies. Conflicting policies included export competitiveness and control of pollution, with the main goal of not affecting the export sector significantly. The integral role of MITI in Japanese business and industry enabled the ministry to play a leading role in the development of industrial policy, arbitrating in case of disputes and problems, and ensuring general regulation for stability in the country’s industrial development. Noteworthy is that the ministry did not focus on developing a centrally managed economy; the goal was to provide administrative guidelines for modernisation, application of technology, competition in the f