World leaders gather in Japan ahead of G7

By Huw Griffith, AFP ISE-SHIMA, Japan, May 25, 2016 – World leaders began gathering in Japan Wednesday ahead of a Group of Seven summit set to be dominated by the lacklustre global economy. The leaders were making their way to Ise Shima, a mountainous and sparsely populated area 300 kilometres (200 miles) southwest of Tokyo, whose mainly elderly residents rely chiefly on tourism and cultured pearls. Logo photo courtesy of japan.go.jp   Security was tight across the region, with thousands of extra police drafted in to patrol train stations and ferry terminals, and to direct traffic on the usually quiet roads during the two-day meeting. Tokyo said it was taking no chances in the wake of terror attacks that struck Paris and Brussels in recent months. Dustbins have been removed or sealed and coin-operated lockers blocked at train and subway stations in the capital and areas around the venue site. [...]