There is, says one METI official, a change of mood.

一位经济产业省的官员说情绪上发生了变化。

This is called active SETI, or METI, where the "m" stands for messaging.

这叫做积极的搜寻地外文明计划，或可以称作向地外文明发送信息。

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) oversees the regulator and is responsible for safety issues.

日本经济产业省理应监管核能工业，应对安全事故负责。

His office notes that Toru Ishida, a former METI energy official, moved straight into a job as senior adviser to TEPCO.

他的团队注意到前日本经济产业省能源官员石田亨直接作为高层顾问进入东京电力公司任职。

He said that those proposing METI should involve more of humanity in the debate and must accept that a moratorium may be necessary.

他说那些提出向地外文明发送信息的人在讨论中应该具有更多的人道，并接受有必要暂时取消这项计划。

Productivity is poorest in service industries, source of 70% of Japan’s output, but an official at METI describes it as “very weak across the board”.

尽管第三产业约占日本国民产值的70%，但其确是日本生产效率最底下的产业。 而日本经济产业省的官员形容此产业“整体上都羸弱不已”了。

As a result, says METI, the market per car company in Japan, with a population 2.5 times that of South Korea, is only two-thirds the size of its neighbour's.

因此，日本经济产业省称，日本人口是韩国的2.5倍，每家汽车公司在日本的市场却只有邻国的三分之二。

But the nuclear crisis, and Tepco's alleged failure to address safety concerns that were raised well before the accident, have led to closer scrutiny of its ties with METI.

此次核危机，加上东电被指未能解决早在事故发生前就有人指出的安全隐患，促使了人们更认真地追究东电与经产省的关系。