The Japanese government, the host in 2016 of an annual summit of leading nations, is considering bringing forward the gathering to May due to the possible election schedule as well as security reasons, government sources said Thursday.

As for the location, the National Police Agency had reported to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's office by February that the city of Shima in Mie Prefecture, famous for its beautiful saw-tooth coastline, and the town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, a renowned summer retreat, would be "desirable" in terms of security.

Aside from Shima and Karuizawa, the cities of Sendai, Niigata, Nagoya, Kobe, Hiroshima and Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, have also expressed readiness to host the event. Abe plans to make a final decision on the venue possibly in late April.