WebRenhō Saitō (斉藤 蓮舫, Saitō Renhō, formerly Murata (村田); born 28 November 1967), commonly known by her given name, Renhō (蓮舫), is a Japanese politician and former journalist who is a current member of House of Councillors. She was the leader of the now-defunct major Japanese opposition party, the Democratic Party .