Hiroshi Saitō (mayor) explained

is a Japanese politician from Tokorozawa, Saitama. Having graduated from Chuo University, Saitō was elected to in 1971. In 1979, he was elected to Saitama Prefectural Assembly and served for 12 years.

In October 1991, Saitō was elected mayor of Tokorozawa. While he was in office, in 1997, TV Asahi aired a news report alleging that the vegetables grown in Tokorozawa were polluted with dioxin. Saitō had his salary docked for covering up information about the pollution.^[1]

He announced in August 2007 that he would not run for a fifth term and was succeeded by Yoshiko Tōma in October 2007.

References

• News: http://shinminpou.co.jp/2007.8/2007.8.19.html . ja:市長選 斉藤市長不出馬か 後援会で勇退を了承か. Nikkanshinminposha. Tokorozawa. Shinminpo. 19 August 2007. 30 April 2009. Japanese.
• News: http://shinminpou.co.jp/2007.10/2007.10.21.html . ja:市長選 いよいよ、きょう投票 新市長誕生は深夜か. Nikkanshinminposha. Tokorozawa. Shinminpo. 21 October 2007. 30 April 2009. Japanese.

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Political Economy of Japanese Pollution Regulation. PDF. Rosenbluth. Frances . Frances McCall Rosenbluth. Thies. Michael. 25. 1999. 30 April 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090418175502/http://www.yale.edu/leitner/resources/docs/1999-01.pdf. 2009-04-18. dead.