{"record":{"aliases":[],"appointmentIds":["japan-cdde958b6c0275"],"appointmentsDataset":"https://chanceries.org/diplomats.json","archivalSources":[],"canonicalUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/hiroshi-saito-787ee0f74c/","countrySlug":"japan","entityId":"https://chanceries.org/diplopedia/people/hiroshi-saito-787ee0f74c/#person","eventIds":[],"expandedParagraphs":["Hiroshi Saitō (1886–1939) joined the Foreign Ministry in 1910 and served in Washington, Paris, New York, and the Netherlands. During his first Washington assignment, beginning in 1911, he became acquainted with Franklin Roosevelt, then assistant secretary of the navy. He returned as ambassador in 1934, bringing substantial experience of American political and social life.","Saitō used speeches and his book Japan’s Policies and Purposes to explain and defend Tokyo’s foreign policy as relations deteriorated over Japan’s war in China. After Japanese aircraft sank the American gunboat Panay in December 1937, he broadcast an apology nationwide without waiting for instructions from Tokyo.","Illness forced Saitō to resign in autumn 1938, and he died in Washington on 26 February 1939. Roosevelt arranged for the cruiser USS Astoria to carry his ashes home. The ship reached Yokohama on 17 April, where its honor guard accompanied the remains ashore. In October 1940, Saitō’s wife and children presented a stone pagoda to the U.S. Naval Academy in gratitude for the American ceremonies and the return of his ashes."],"id":"japan:hiroshi saito","identifiers":{},"legacyPersonIds":[],"legacyUrl":"https://chanceries.org/diplomat-787ee0f74cdfcad99697.html","name":"Hiroshi Saitō","notes":[],"paragraphSources":[["saito-mofa","saito-memorial"],["saito-mofa"],["saito-memorial"]],"profileUrl":"diplomat-787ee0f74cdfcad99697.html","relatedEvents":[],"relatedPeople":[],"relationships":[],"researchStatus":"reviewed","reviewedOn":"2026-10-28","revision":"0b61804f1184def7","sources":[{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":null,"id":"saito-mofa","locator":"Question about Ambassador Saito’s death in the United States","publisher":"Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan","title":"外交史料 Q&A 昭和戦前期 — 斎藤博駐米大使","type":"institutional-history","url":"https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/annai/honsho/shiryo/qa/senzen_03.html?show=pc"},{"accessedOn":"2026-10-28","date":"2021-08","id":"saito-memorial","locator":"Naval History 35:4; career and Astoria voyage","publisher":"U.S. Naval Institute, Jon Hoppe","title":"An Ambassador’s Naval Academy Pagoda","type":"institutional-history","url":"https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/august/ambassadors-naval-academy-pagoda"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"2012-11-19","id":"mission-5a397b8676ad6894559b","locator":"Modern chief names and protocol dates through Kenichiro Sasae; Historical diplomatic representation from 1891; Embassy raised in 1906, wartime interruption, reopening in 1952","publisher":"","title":"Diplomatic Representation for Japan","type":"Mission record","url":"https://2009-2017.state.gov/s/cpr/rls/94066.htm"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-4e5ced61940f0980619e","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Hiroshi Saitō — mission record (1934–1938)","type":"Mission record","url":"https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1931-41v01/d373"},{"accessedOn":"","date":"","id":"mission-d06ff8044484a595cf4c","locator":"","publisher":"","title":"Hiroshi Saitō — mission record (1934–1938)","type":"Mission record","url":"https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1931-41v01/directory"}],"topics":["Panay incident","public diplomacy","naval commemoration"]},"schemaVersion":1}