The or METI, is a ministry of the Government of Japan. It was created by the 2001 Central Government Reform when the Ministry of International Trade and Industry merged with agencies from other ministries related to economic activities, such as the Economic Planning Agency.METI has jurisdiction over a broad policy area, containing Japan's industrial/trade policies, energy security, control of arms exports, "Cool Japan", etc. METI is known for its liberal atmosphere and officials of METI have been well known for their excellence. It is commonly called "human resource agency" for its leaders of politics, business and academia.