Saitō Takao (politician)

Saitō Takao.

Saitō Takao (斎藤 隆夫, September 13, 1870 – October 7, 1949) was a Japanese politician and longtime member of the Imperial Diet from Hyōgo Prefecture. He was a member of the Rikken Minseito party. On February 2, 1940, he made a speech in which he sharply questioned the prosecution and justification of Japan's "holy war" in China. For this, he was expelled from the Diet on March 7, 1940. His speech also led to the creation of the League of Diet Members Believing the Objectives of the Holy War by Fumimaro Konoe. Saitō would be re-elected to the Diet in 1942. After the surrender of Japan in 1945, he was one of the politicians that participated in the Allied Occupation's efforts to democratize Japan.

See also

• Opposition at home to the Japanese government (World War II)

References

• Kinmonth, Earl H. (Summer 1999). "The Mouse That Roared: Saito Takao, Conservative Critic of Japan's "Holy War" in China". Journal of Japanese Studies. University of Washington: Society for Japanese Studies. 25 (2): 331–360. doi:10.2307/133315. JSTOR 133315.

• Fouraker, Laurence (April 2000). "Saitō Takao and Parliamentary Politics in 1930s Japan" (PDF). Sino-Japanese Studies. 12 (2): 3–28. Retrieved 2011-09-05.

External links

• Saito, Takao at National Diet Library, Japan