Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara says Japan’s colonial rule over Korea was relatively fair compared to Europe at the time of World War Two.

The ultra-conservative politician made the controversial statement after the International Olympic Committee's evaluation commission concluded its inspection of Tokyo's bid to host the 2016 Summer Games.

Ishihara’s statement came after a British reporter asked how Tokyo can justify the hosting of the Olympics while it denies wartime atrocities committed on the Korean Peninsula.

Ishihara said he is not saying that Japan’s rule over Korea was free of wrongdoing. But he did say that former South Korean President Park Chung-hee believed Japan’s rule was fair compared to the rule of advanced European countries following the Second World War.

Ishihara faced harsh criticism in January after saying that it would be best for North Korea to be absorbed by China.