was the Japanese ambassador to the United States from 1934 till his resignation in October 1938. He died months later in February 1939. As an envoy, Saito took part in Japan's 1934 renunciation of the

Washington Naval Treaty The Washington Naval Treaty, also known as the Five-Power Treaty, was a treaty signed during 1922 among the major Allies of World War I, which agreed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval construction. It was negotiated at the Washington Nav ...

. Saito worked to maintain good relations with the U.S, even as further global condemnation for the

Japanese invasion of Manchuria The Empire of Japan's Kwantung Army invaded Manchuria on 18 September 1931, immediately following the Mukden Incident. At the war's end in February 1932, the Japanese established the puppet state of Manchukuo. Their occupation lasted until the ...

was mounting. Among the notable issues that he faced was the USS ''Panay'' incident. Unfortunately, almost no one in the United States remained sympathetic to Japan following these two situations and Saito's career was then considered a failure. He resigned as Ambassador in October, 1938 and died in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in February, 1939 at age 52 from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

. Upon his death, still with Ambassador rank, his body was returned to Japan via the heavy cruiser USS ''Astoria'' under the command of Captain

Richmond K. Turner Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner (May 27, 1885 – February 12, 1961), commonly known as Admiral Kelly Turner, served in the United States Navy during World War II, and is best known for commanding the Amphibious Force during the campaign across ...

Personal life and Early career

Hiroshi Saitō was the son (as described by historian Walter A. McDougall) of a humble school teacher in a provincial Japanese town in 1886. His father taught English, which Saito learned. Saito, because of his proficiency in English, became a translator in the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Japan) The is an executive department of the Government of Japan, and is responsible for the country's foreign policy and international relations. The ministry was established by the second term of the third article of the National Government Or ...

, and met Foreign Minister Komura Jutaro, who promoted his career. (Komura was once attached to the Translation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.) He attended Peers College and

Tokyo University , abbreviated as or UTokyo, is a public research university located in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1877, the university was the first Imperial University and is currently a Top Type university of the Top Global University Project by ...

and then officially joined the foreign service, serving as a junior attaché in Washington and London. He was also an observer of the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920). Saito also served as the Japanese Consul General in New York from 1923 to 1929. At age 32 he returned to Japan from the U.S to marry Miyoko Nagayo, daughter of Baron Sensai Nagayo, a diplomat in the

Iwakura Mission The Iwakura Mission or Iwakura Embassy (, ''Iwakura Shisetsudan'') was a Japanese diplomatic voyage to the United States and Europe conducted between 1871 and 1873 by leading statesmen and scholars of the Meiji period. It was not the only such m ...

. They had two daughters, Sakiko Saitō born in 1927 and Makako Saitō, born in 1930.

References

External links

Video of Saito addressing the US on matters of a naval treaty
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saito, Hiroshi 1886 births 1939 deaths Ambassadors of Japan to the United States Consuls General of Japan in New York