FACTBOX: Hokkaido, site of the G8 leaders summit
(Reuters) - Group of Eight (G8) leaders will gather at the Windsor Hotel in Hokkaido, northern Japan, for a July 7-9 summit during which they will also hold meetings with leaders of seven African countries and major economies including China and India.
Below are some key facts about Toyako, a lake and hot spring resort in rural Hokkaido.
WINDSOR HOTEL
The luxury hotel where the G8 leaders will gather opened in 1993 but had to close its doors four years later after its main lender, a regional bank, collapsed in the aftermath of the bursting of Japan's "bubble economy" of soaring asset prices.
Located near the top of 620 meter (2,000 ft) Mount Poromoi overlooking scenic Lake Toya, the hotel reopened in 2002.
A one-night stay at the resort ranges from around 45,000 yen ($420) to 1.3 million yen ($12,170) for the "Grand Presidential Suite".
OPEN SPACES
Japan's northernmost main island, Hokkaido, lies about 760 km (470 miles) north of Tokyo. It accounts for about one-fifth of Japan's land mass but has a population of only about 6 million out of Japan's 127 million people.
The island is home to about 24,000 members of the Ainu ethnic group, who were recognized last month by Japan's parliament as indigenous people with their own distinct culture.
Hokkaido's economy relies heavily on tourism and had a jobless rate of 5 percent in 2007 compared to 3.9 percent nationwide.
"BEAUTIFUL JAPAN"
Famous for its beautiful natural landscape that includes active volcanoes and virgin forests, Hokkaido is home to World Heritage site Shiretoko National Park.
Lake Toya, a crater lake at the foot of Mount Usu in southern Hokkaido, was selected last year as the summit site by then prime minister Shinzo Abe as an appropriate venue for a gathering where global warming will be high on the agenda.
Abe, who resigned suddenly last September, also saw the scenic site as symbolizing his slogan of "Beautiful Country, Japan" a reference to his desire to revive respect for traditional values such as patriotism, and harmony with nature.
Abe's successor, Yasuo Fukuda, needs a successful summit to boost his weak ratings and stifle speculation that the ruling party may dump him when the G8 gathering is over.
HIGH CARBON EMISSIONS
Climate change will be high on the agenda at this month's G8 summit, but Hokkaido faces environmental woes of its own.
The island is home to Japan's most pristine natural sites, but it emits slightly above average levels of carbon dioxide for Japan, mainly because residents must travel long distances by car and heat their homes with kerosene to cope with the region's severe winters, with temperatures dipping well below minus four Celsius (25 Fahrenheit).
Last April, the governor of Hokkaido set a target to reduce carbon emissions by 10 percent per person and local authorities issued guidelines for households to reduce air-conditioning use and cut emissions while driving.
Sources: Hokkaido prefecture, Reuters News, Hotel website (here)
($1=106.81 Yen)
(Reporting by Mari Saito, Editing by Linda Sieg and Sonya Hepinstall)
