Security is tight at every G7 summit, but this year’s host, Japan. This comes after an attack last month on the prime minister and the 2022 assassination of ex-premier Shinzo Abe.
About 24,000 security personnel are reportedly deployed to Hiroshima during the summit. Most dispatched from other parts of the country.
Well before the May 19 to May 21 talks, patrolling police have weaving between tour groups in the western city’s famed Peace Park.
Security personnel were also motoring up and down the river alongside sites like the Atomic Bomb Dome, with helicopters regularly buzzing overhead.
The measures have extended far beyond the city, including to the capital Tokyo. Messages on the train system warn of heightened security for the summit.
Major cities in Japan do not generally have rubbish bins in public places. But security personnel have been sealing off other places that pose a potential threat.
Vending machines on subway platforms have also unplugged and sealed with tape. Along with apologetic signs warning they will be unavailable during the summit for security reasons.