Next year's Group of Seven summit of advanced countries in Shima, Mie Prefecture, will be held on May 26 and 27, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday.
A senior official later said those dates were preferred because the weather is likely to be better than in June, when the annual G-7 summits are typically held but also the middle of Japan's rainy season.
Suga, during his daily news conference, only said the dates were decided after consulting with the other member countries: the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Canada.
Japanese politicians say the G-7 summit will be a great opportunity to boost Shima's economy and the tourism industry in the surrounding area.
The government has cited the city's beautiful scenery as one of the reasons for choosing it as the G-7 venue. The famed Ise Shrine is also nearby.
During the news conference, Suga was asked if Japan will try to invite Russia to attend the summit. He only said : "Nothing has been decided yet."
Russia was expelled from what used to be the G-8 in March last year after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula, straining its ties with the U.S. and many European countries.
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