Tetsuo Saito | |
|---|---|
斉藤 鉄夫 | |
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | |
| Assumed office 4 October 2021 | |
| Prime Minister | Fumio Kishida |
| Preceded by | Kazuyoshi Akaba |
| Minister of the Environment | |
| In office 2 August 2008 – 16 September 2009 | |
| Prime Minister | Yasuo Fukuda Tarō Asō |
| Preceded by | Ichirō Kamoshita |
| Succeeded by | Sakihito Ozawa |
| Member of the House of Representatives | |
| Assumed office 19 July 1993 | |
| Constituency | Hiroshima 3rd (past: former Hiroshima 1st, Chūgoku PR block) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 February 1952 Ōchi District, Shimane, Japan |
| Political party | Komeito |
| Alma mater | Tokyo Institute of Technology |
Tetsuo Saito (斉藤 鉄夫, Saitō Tetsuo, born February 5, 1952) is a Japanese 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[1] and is the current Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
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.[1]
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.[1]
Saito was appointed as Minister of the Environment by Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on August 1, 2008.[2] In the Cabinet of Prime Minister Taro Aso, appointed on September 24, 2008, Saito was retained in his post.[3]
