Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) is the archetypal example of a 'pilot agency' within a developmental state. From the post-war period until its reorganization in 2001, MITI was instrumental in guiding Japan's rapid industrialization. It used tools like administrative guidance, control over foreign exchange, and state-directed financing to foster strategic industries, coordinate private sector investment, and promote exports, effectively acting as the central nervous system of Japan's economic miracle.