Why Japan’s sleepy city of Hiroshima was chosen to host the G7

The Atomic Bomb Dome was the only building left in the city centre after the 1945 atomic bomb obliterated Hiroshima [File: Kyodo via Reuters]

Hiroshima, Japan – At first look, Hiroshima, the Japanese city hosting this year’s Group of Seven summit, is not the most obvious choice for a high-stakes gathering of world leaders.

Compared with the frantic bustle of Tokyo, the centre of Japan’s political, economic and cultural life, this southwestern coastal city is practically sleepy.