ISE-SHIMA, Japan, (APP): World leaders gather in Japan for G7 Summit
World leaders began gathering in Japan Wednesday ahead of a Group of Seven summit set to be dominated by the lacklustre global economy.
The leaders were making their way to Ise Shima, a mountainous and sparsely populated area 300 kilometres (200 miles) southwest of Tokyo, whose mainly elderly residents rely chiefly on tourism and cultured pearls.
Security was tight across the region, with thousands of extra police drafted in to patrol train stations and ferry terminals, and to direct traffic on the usually quiet roads during the two-day meeting.
Dustbins have been removed or sealed and coin-operated
lockers blocked at train and subway stations in the capital and areas around the venue site.
Authorities said they will be keeping a close eye on so-called "soft targets" such as theatres and stadiums.
However, unlike in many other rich democracies, protests were unlikely to cause much of a security headache.