TOKYO GOVERNOR ISHIHARA SPEAKS TO REPORTERS IN TOKYO, 2000-04-12 (photo)

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara, under fire over remarks he made on Sunday including a derogatory term used after World War Two, speaks to reporters at the Tokyo metropolitan government office, defending his terminology April 12. Ishihara said on Sunday that some foreigners were likely to commit crimes and riot if a big quake hit Tokyo, using the word "sangokujin," a term used after World War Two as an insult for residents from the former Japanese colonies of Korea and Taiwan. Ishihara blamed the furore on biased reporting and said that by "sangokujin," he had meant "foreigners living illegally in Japan," adding, "it was extremely regrettable that my words were misunderstood. ES/DL