Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has visited the western Japanese city of Hiroshima where the Group of Seven summit will be held next week.

The three-day meeting will start from May 19 at Grand Prince Hotel Hiroshima.

Kishida spoke to about 100 police and coast guard officers at the hotel on Saturday. The officers are part of the contingent that will be deployed in the city and surrounding areas for the summit.

Kishida said the summit will be the seventh to be held in Japan after a lapse of seven years. He said it will be the most important summit in terms of Japan's history, taking into account the current strained international situation.

The prime minister said Japan has a big responsibility to ensure the historic summit is conducted safely and smoothly and that its success rest on the officers' shoulders.

He asked them to remain on the highest possible level of alert until the end and to complete their duties.

Kishida later visited Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, on nearby Miyajima Island where the G7 leaders are scheduled to visit.