Tetsuo Saito, retained as transport minister, is deputy leader of the Komeito party, the junior coalition partner of the Liberal Democratic Party, and widely known in political circles for his love of trains.

Saito, a 10th-term lower house member representing a Hiroshima constituency, previously served as secretary general and policy chief of Komeito. He was also environment minister from 2008 to 2009.

The 71-year-old is a former engineer with a doctoral degree and researched the development of space at major construction firm Shimizu Corp. before first being elected to the House of Representatives in 1993.

==Kyodo

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