One week until the G7 Hiroshima Summit What is the current state of security? The challenge?

With one week to go until the G7 Hiroshima Summit, the city is on high alert, with many police officers dispatched from all over the country.

Since it will be held over three days in urban areas, it is expected to have an impact on people's lives.

Explore the current situation and challenges.

The city of Hiroshima is now

G7 summits held in various countries are often held in urban areas for security reasons, etc., and this is the first time that the G1993 summits have been held in urban areas in Japan since Tokyo in <>.

With the event just around the corner, many police cars from outside the prefecture can be seen in the center of Hiroshima City, and uniformed police officers are also gathering, and emphasis is placed on "visible security" that deters crime in advance by deploying a large number of personnel.

Issue 1: Security in urban areas affects people's lives

Ujinashima, where the main venue hotel is located, is about 5 kilometers south of the city center, but the leaders of each country are going to visit Peace Park and other places, and the characteristic of this summit is that the leaders go back and forth in the city.

The Peace Park is already surrounded by a fence about 2 meters high, and access to the entire park, including the Atomic Bomb Dome, is restricted from noon on the 18th of this month, the day before the summit, to the end of related events on the 21st.

In addition, in order to keep as much distance as possible from the people along the road, the median strip was removed and the number of lanes was increased in a part of the road where cars carrying the leaders were expected to pass.

The police have decided to impose traffic restrictions on a wide area of the city center centered on the time when the leaders pass, and are asking citizens to "halve the total traffic volume" including before and after the summit period, but traffic congestion occurs on a daily basis in the center of Hiroshima City, and it is expected that their lives will be greatly affected.

Issue 2: Security of the sea and air

At this summit, security not only in the city but also in the sea and air will be important.

Since the main venue hotel is located by the sea, low above sea level, the police will provide security in cooperation with the 6th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters.

In addition, there are several islands in the vicinity, and the distance from the nearest island is about 1 km.

Commissioner Nobuki of the National Police Agency, who inspected the hotel in April, pointed out that "it is necessary to anticipate and respond to new threats such as drone attacks from nearby islands," and in addition to vigilance on surrounding islands, the police plan to thoroughly implement countermeasures by introducing equipment called "jamming guns" that interfere with the flight of suspicious drones with radio waves.

Issue 3: Beware of soft targets

On the other hand, it is also necessary to prepare for terrorism targeting places called "soft targets," such as stations and commercial facilities where an unspecified number of people gather.

At a summit held in the United Kingdom in 2005, a terrorist attack occurred in the capital city of London, far from the venue.

In Hiroshima, although none of them were dangerous goods, on April 4, paper bags were left in the toilet of the station building directly connected to JR Hiroshima Station, causing a commotion in which the Shinkansen stopped, and on May 25, a box was placed on a bench in Peace Park, and part of the park was restricted due to suspicion of suspicious objects.

Coin lockers will be unavailable at Hiroshima Station from next week, but the police are required to respond to suspicious objects and suspicious people as soon as possible.

At a press conference last month, Hiroshima Prefectural Police Chief Yoshiyuki Morimoto said, "In order to prevent illegal acts such as terrorism, it is very important for local people to be aware of it.

Strengthening in Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has been raising the alert level in Tokyo since May 5 and is strengthening patrols.

At the international terminal of Haneda Airport, which is the gateway to the skies, police officers from the Airport Terrorism Response Unit of the Metropolitan Police Department have been increased to guard the aircraft.

Police officers patrolled on "Segways," fast-moving electric two-wheeled vehicles, and checked trash cans for suspicious objects.

Overseas, there have been a series of terrorist attacks targeting large-scale international conferences, etc., and there have been incidents targeting cities away from the host cities, so the Metropolitan Police Department has raised the alert level and strengthened its security posture from today.

In addition to strengthening patrols at large-scale stations, airports, and other places known as "soft targets," we plan to increase the number of police officers assigned to important facilities such as foreign embassies to prevent terrorism.

Tokyo Airport Police Station Chief Yasuo Ikeda

Chief Yasuo Ikeda of the Tokyo Airport Police Station said, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the citizens of Tokyo, but I would like to ask for your understanding and cooperation in security to prevent terrorism."