Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has chosen a high school student's design as the official logo for the Group of Seven summit that will be held in Mie Prefecture in May.
The winning entry was created by Shiho Utsumiya, 18, a student at Tsurusaki Technical High School in Oita Prefecture.
She was among six finalists short-listed by a selection committee from 7,084 entries submitted by elementary, junior high and high school students across Japan.
"Her design expresses Japan's beautiful nature in a well-balanced and simple manner," Abe said Monday during a ceremony at the prime minister's office to announce the selection.
The logo will be used for the G-7 leaders' summit in the Ise-Shima area and at ministerial gatherings to be held at 10 other locations across the country next year.
The design — seven cherry blossom petals surrounding a red circle on a blue crescent-shape pattern — represents the G-7 nations, the Hinomaru flag and the sea in the Ise-Shima area.
"I made this logo in hopes of a successful summit and world peace. It's an honor to see that my design has been selected," Utsumiya told reporters after the ceremony.
Abe awarded Utsumiya's work the top prize, along with excellence awards for the five other finalists selected by the panel chaired by creative director Kashiwa Sato.
The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.