TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Tokyo on Friday warned Japanese nationals in Peru
                  to be on their guard days after disgraced Peruvian ex-president Alberto Fujimori's
                  Japanese citizenship was confirmed.

                  "In relation to the issue of the former Peruvian president's stay in Japan, we have
                  been receiving calls threatening the safety of our embassy, Japanese companies,
                  and Japanese-Peruvians in Peru," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

                  "We cannot deny the possibility that Japanese nationals may be harmed," it said,
                  calling for those travelling to Peru to contact local Japanese government offices
                  for information updates.

                  Tokyo on Tuesday confirmed that Fujimori has Japanese nationality which
                  enables him to stay in Japan and probably avoid facing investigators in Peru.

                  So far, there had not been any reports of violence against Japanese in Peru, a
                  ministry official said.

                  Since being sacked as Peru's president last month, Fujimori has taken refuge in
                  the land of his forefathers, while investigators in Peru have said they will use all
                  means possible to force him to testify over his links to his former spy-chief who
                  is wanted on corruption charges.

                  Fujimori has refused to return to Peru, saying he had no guarantees for his
                  personal safety or that he would receive a fair hearing in a government now led
                  by one of his veteran opponents in Congress, interim President Valentin
                  Paniagua.

                  Fujimori resigned as president and was then sacked by Peru's Congress days
                  after entering Japan on a diplomatic visa in November.

                     Copyright 2000 Reuters.