Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday inspected the main venue for the Group of Seven summit beginning next week in Hiroshima and other locations he is set to visit with fellow leaders, including the cenotaph for atomic-bomb victims.
In the run-up to the summit in western Japan, which will be the first to be held at a site hit by an atomic bomb, Kishida, a lawmaker representing Hiroshima, encouraged the security personnel to prioritize measures against terrorism.
Later in the day, Kishida told reporters that he is planning to welcome the G-7 leaders at the Peace Memorial Park on the opening day of the three-day summit from Friday.
Kishida on Saturday visited the Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima, where the G-7 summit will take place, as well as Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima Island, renowned for its torii gate that appears to float in the Seto Inland Sea during high tide.
His itinerary also included key locations scheduled to be visited by U.S. President Joe Biden and the other G-7 leaders, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, according to a Japanese government official.
Kishida has voiced hope that visiting the museum on the first day of the summit will generate momentum to achieve his cherished goal of realizing a "world without nuclear weapons" by fostering a deeper understanding of the devastating impact of atomic bombs.
The government has also been arranging a meeting between the G-7 leaders and atomic bomb survivors, known in Japan as hibakusha.
Earlier Saturday, Kishida told police officers and Japan Coast Guard officials, "As the host nation, it is Japan's duty to ensure the safe and smooth conduct of the historic summit. The success or failure of the event rests on your shoulders."
