TOYAKO, Hokkaido — Takuji Okamoto, 69, has run a tiny noodle shop with his wife, Chieko, for 23 years at the Lake Toya hot springs resort area.

Since April, his business has been thriving. Customers ranging from government officials who laid the groundwork for the Group of Eight summit, which opened Monday at Toyako, to members of the press and police officers beefing up security for the event have been flooding the 14-seat shop during lunchtime and at night.

The summit-related boom has brought a new breed of customers.