A group of survivors of the US atomic bombings, known as hibakusha, has held a rally in Tokyo to demand the abolishment of nuclear weapons and an end to wars, ahead of the upcoming G7 Hiroshima Summit.

The Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, also known as Hidankyo, and other groups of war victims in Japan held the event on Saturday in which about 70 people took part.

Hidankyo representative Tanaka Terumi warned if war breaks out today, that could lead to the end of life on earth unlike the war he and others experienced 78 years ago. He called on participants to work together to protest against making preparations for war.

Hidankyo's Secretary General Kido Sueichi, an atomic bomb survivor from Nagasaki, told the meeting that nuclear bombs are weapons aimed solely at causing "extinction," and described them as an "absolute evil."

Kido said the abolition of nuclear weapons is the only way to protect humankind. He said war forces people to make sacrifices and should not be repeated, and called on the Japanese government to fulfil its duty as the only country that has suffered a nuclear attack.

At the end of the meeting, an appeal was read out saying that neither nuclear weapons nor war can defend the lives and livelihoods of people.

The appeal called on the Japanese government to act as a bridge between nuclear powers and non-nuclear powers. It also called for settling any international conflicts through negotiations.