Beware foreign rioters - Tokyo governor

Mr Ishihara was elected Tokyo governor last April

Tokyo's controversial Governor Shintaro Ishihara has told defence forces to prepare for rioting by foreigners in the event of a major disaster in the Japanese capital.

Mr Ishihara told a unit of the country's Ground Self-Defence Force (GSDF): "Atrocious crimes have been committed again and again by sangokujin and other foreigners. We can expect them to riot in the event of a disastrous earthquake."

The Japanese term "sangokujin" is an insult for residents from the former Japanese colonies of Taiwan and Korea.

I hope you will show the Japanese people and the Tokyo people what the military is for in a state

Shintaro Ishihara

The Tokyo governor, a fervent nationalist, is well-known for his outspoken comments. He has previously been criticised by China for questioning accounts of Japanese wartime atrocities.

Mr Ishihara told the GSDF troops: "Police have their limits. I hope you will not only fight against disasters but also keep public security at that time.

"I hope you will show the Japanese people and the Tokyo people what the military is for in a state."

Mr Ishihara made the speech during a ceremony at the GSDF's garrison in Nerima Ward, north-east of Tokyo, to mark its 49th anniversary. Tokyo government officials could not be reached for comment on Sunday.

Mr Ishihara has said the Nanking Massacre never happened

At the request of a local governor, the prime minister can send in troops to maintain public order when police cannot.

After the Japanese capital was levelled by the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, unfounded rumours swept through Tokyo that Koreans were poisoning wells and committing arson.

Several thousand Koreans were killed by Japanese vigilantes before order could be restored.

Criticism

Mr Ishihara - elected as governor last April - has previously drawn criticism for saying the Nanking Massacre, in which hundreds of thousands of Chinese were slaughtered by Japanese troops in the 1930s, never happened.

He has also come under fire for supporting Japan's claim to sovereignty over disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as the Diaoyu in Chinese communities and Senkaku in Japan. The islands are claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan.

Mr Ishihara also co-authored the 1989 bestseller, The Japan That Can Say No, which called for Japan to be more assertive towards the United States.