BRIDGESTONE CORP PRESIDENT KAIZAKI ANSWERS REPORTER'S QUESTION IN TOKYO, 2000-09-11 (photo)

Bridgestone Corp President Yoichiro Kaizaki, with tears in his eyes, answers a reporter's question during a news conference at the headquarters of the Federation of Economic Organizations in Tokyo, September 11, 2000. Bridgestone rallied behind its tarnished Firestone tyre brand on Monday, defusing speculation that a recall crisis would force the Japanese company to scrap the 100-year old Firestone name. Breaking his silence since the recall was announced on August 9, Kaizaki also repeated that the compnay had not deliberately withheld information from U.S. authorities about accidents in overseas markets. TA/DL