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SHINROKU SAITO
1919--1994
BY RUSTUM ROY
DR SHINROKU SAITO, chairman of the board, Kanagawa Acad-
emy of Science anct Technology (KAST), and president of
Nishi Tokyo University, died on November 21, 1994, at the
age of seventy-five. Shinroku Saito was born March 30, 1919,
in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
Dr. Saito was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engi-
neering as a foreign associate in 1994 and was deeply affected
by this honor from his American colleagues. Alreacly in poor
health for nearly a year, he was unable to attend the instalIa-
tion ceremony in October 1994. He arranged, however, for his
son, who makes his home in Paris, France, to attend the cere-
mony and receive the honor in his place. His son then flew to
Tokyo en cl hancled over the NAE foreign associate certificate,
hardly one month before Dr. Saito died.
Shinroku Saito was eclucatect as an aeronautical engineer
graduating from Tohoku University in 1943. Immediately af-
ter graduation he was attached to the Central Research
Laboratory for Aeronautics for the duration of the war.
In 1945 he moved to the Tokyo Institute of Technology, which
was to be his main professional base for the next thirty-five years.
He had changed fielcls to materials engineering in 1945 and
became one of Spanks leading engineers in structural ceramics.
225
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226
MEMORIAL TRIBUTES
He rose through the ranks from 1945 to 1977 as research
associate, associate professor, and professor in the Research
:Laboratory for Engineering Materials of the Tokyo Institute of
Technology. In 1977 he was selected as president of the institute.
After mandatory retirement in 1981, Dr. Saito served as presi-
dent of the Technological University of Nagaoka. In 1989 he was
the principal driving force, together with the governor of the
prefecture, in establishing the Kanagawa Academy of Science
and Technology (KAST) near Yokohama. This unique new style
of institution for research and graduate training may prove to be
one of Dr. Saito's greatest innovations. It is located in Kanagawa
Science Park, possibly the biggest "research park" in the world,
enabling EAST to interact with some 100 companies on-site and
to do state-of-the-art research at the same time. Finally, he also
became president of the Nishi-Tokyo University, part of a most
innovative worldwide chain of educational institutions started by
his colleague, Dr. Shoichi Okinaga.
Yet Dr. Saito's impact on materials engineering took place
mainly in the realm of national research and development
policy. He, with two or three other individuals such as Dr. T.
Yamauchi, who preceded him in the presidency of Tokyo In-
stitute of Technology, helped put Japan's industry ahead of
the world in the field of ceramics.
Dr. Saito served on numerous advisory committees to the
government, many more than can be mentioned here. In the
Ministry of Education and Culture, he became chairman of
the Japan Society for Promotion of Science committee from
1970 to 1982.
He served on four major committees of the Ministry of In-
ternational Trade and Inclustr,v. He was a pioneer in the Fine
Ceramics Project in 1979 and was affiliated with it until 1993.
He also served on the Key Technology Center, New Energy
and Industrial Technology Development Organization, and
Small Business Corporation committees, and was a councilor
to the International Superconductivity Technology Center.
In the Science and Technology Agency, he was involved in
key committees such as the National Space Development
Agency of Japan (1979 to 1994) and the Research Develop
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SHINROKU SAITO
227
ment Corporation of Japan (1993 to 1994~. He chaired the
Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology committee as
well as the Advisory Committee of the National Institute for
Research in Inorganic Materials.
He also served in the Prime Minister's office from 1981
onward on the Council for Science and Technology and Space
. .. . .
Activities commission.
Dr. Saito was a key figure in ~apan's rise to the top of the
ceramic materials world through the Tokyo Institute of
Technology, Ceramic Society of Japan, the Japan Fine Ceramics
Association, and Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology.
Among the honors he received are a clozen of the most
significant such in Japan. Internationally, in 1993 he was elect-
ed to distinguished life membership in the American Ceramic
Society, and as a Chevalier de l'Orde National du Merite of
the Republic of France. Dr. Saito was a champion of interna-
tional collaboration. With his blessing, his colleague Professor
S. Somiya established the first U.S.-]apan Cooperative Semi-
nar in Ceramics in 1968. He was given the Pioneering
Bridge-Builder Award for such activities by the Pennsylvania
State University's Materials Research Laboratory.
Dr. Saito was not a narrow scientist-engineer. He grew up in a
strongly religious culture and home and maintained a deep and
abiding interest in the interaction of science and technology
with society. He wrote widely on various aspects of globalization
and "negentropy." I was pleased to attend the Second Yoko
Conference on "Creating the Future of.Mankind" in 1989 and
observe this deeper side of Professor Saito in a gathering of the
worId's leading theologians and philosophers.
Or Saito has set a very high standard for citizen-engineers.
His broad involvement not only in research but in engineer-
ing, technology, national policy, and even philosophy and
religion, is a mode! for all.
Representative terms from entire chapter:
tokyo institute
