Saito's research interest includes combustion (flame synthesis, laminar diffusion flame structure, micro flames, soot formation), fire research (flame spread, fire whirls, boil over, pool and crib fires, scaling laws), scale modeling (law approach, scaling laws, similarity), Monozukuri (Toyota production system, Lean systems, kufu), and engineering philosophy (Zen philosophy, Daoism, D.T. Suzuki).
His educational philosophy shares with traditional Japanese Hitozukuri principles and Zen philosophy. Saito has regularly taught two different graduate level courses, ME 563 combustion and ME 565 scale modeling in engineering, where he has practiced engineering philosophy and kufu principles. He has given the Fujio Cho Legacy Lecture at the University of Kentucky's Lean Certification, since 2010.
Saito is fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Chair of International Scale Modeling Committee, former committee member of the National Research Council. His awards include the Richard Emori Award from the second International Symposium on Scale Modeling, International Prize from Combustion Society of Japan.
