Tetsuo Saito
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese politician
of the New Komeito Party
, a member of the House of Representatives
in the Diet
(national legislature). Saito is currently serving his fifth term in the Lower House by Chugoku proportional election and is the Minister of the Environment.
A native of Ōchi District, Shimane
, he attended Tokyo Institute of Technology
as an undergraduate studying applied physics
, graduating in 1976, and received a Ph.D in engineering from the same school. His first employment was with the major construction firm Shimizu Corporation. Saito was a visiting researcher at Princeton University
for three years beginning in 1986. He was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1993.
Saito is known for his ties with NASA
as well as expert knowledge of lunar bases and clean energy technology. Due to his knowledge in these areas, he was appointed parliamentary secretary of science and technology in 1999 in the Keizo Obuchi
administration.
Saito was appointed as Minister of the Environment by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
on August 1, 2008. In the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso
, appointed on September 24, 2008, Saito was retained in his post.
His main hobby is swimming.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
of the New Komeito Party
New Komeito Party
The , New Kōmei Party, or NKP is a centre-right political party in Japan founded by members of the Nichiren Buddhist organization Sōka Gakkai. The leadership and financing of the two groups are currently independent...
, a member of the House of Representatives
House of Representatives of Japan
The is the lower house of the Diet of Japan. The House of Councillors of Japan is the upper house.The House of Representatives has 480 members, elected for a four-year term. Of these, 180 members are elected from 11 multi-member constituencies by a party-list system of proportional representation,...
in the Diet
Diet of Japan
The is Japan's bicameral legislature. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives, and an upper house, called the House of Councillors. Both houses of the Diet are directly elected under a parallel voting system. In addition to passing laws, the Diet is formally...
(national legislature). Saito is currently serving his fifth term in the Lower House by Chugoku proportional election and is the Minister of the Environment.
A native of Ōchi District, Shimane
Ochi District, Shimane
is a district located in Shimane, Japan.As of 2003, the district has an estimated population of 27,648 and a density of 30.10 persons per km². The total area is 918.63 km².-Towns and villages:*Kawamoto*Misato*Ōnan-Mergers:...
, he attended Tokyo Institute of Technology
Tokyo Institute of Technology
The Tokyo Institute of Technology is a public research university located in Greater Tokyo Area, Japan. Tokyo Tech is the largest institution for higher education in Japan dedicated to science and technology. Tokyo Tech enrolled 4,850 undergaraduates and 5006 graduate students for 2009-2010...
as an undergraduate studying applied physics
Applied physics
Applied physics is a general term for physics which is intended for a particular technological or practical use.It is usually considered as a bridge or a connection between "pure" physics and engineering....
, graduating in 1976, and received a Ph.D in engineering from the same school. His first employment was with the major construction firm Shimizu Corporation. Saito was a visiting researcher at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
for three years beginning in 1986. He was elected to the Diet for the first time in 1993.
Saito is known for his ties with NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
as well as expert knowledge of lunar bases and clean energy technology. Due to his knowledge in these areas, he was appointed parliamentary secretary of science and technology in 1999 in the Keizo Obuchi
Keizo Obuchi
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives for twelve terms, and ultimately as the 84th Prime Minister of Japan from July 30, 1998 to April 5, 2000. His political career ended when he suffered a serious and ultimately fatal stroke....
administration.
Saito was appointed as Minister of the Environment by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
Yasuo Fukuda
was the 91st Prime Minister of Japan, serving from 2007 to 2008. He was previously the longest-serving Chief Cabinet Secretary in Japanese history, serving for three and a half years under Prime Ministers Yoshirō Mori and Junichiro Koizumi....
on August 1, 2008. In the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso
Taro Aso
was the 92nd Prime Minister of Japan serving from September 2008 to September 2009, and was defeated in the August 2009 election.He has served in the House of Representatives since 1979. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2005 to 2007, and was Secretary-General of the LDP briefly in 2007 and...
, appointed on September 24, 2008, Saito was retained in his post.
His main hobby is swimming.
External links
- Official website in Japanese.