Aichi Prefecture is being considered to host next year's foreign ministers' meeting of the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies, a government source said Friday.
Japan will assume the G-20 presidency for the first time next year. It has already announced that the leaders' summit will be held in Osaka and the meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors in Fukuoka.
The village of Kutchan in Hokkaido is the current top pick for the tourism ministers' meeting, the source said.
Aichi had expressed interest in hosting the leaders' summit before it went to Osaka.
Niigata Prefecture is a contender to host one of the other ministerial meetings, the source said. Around eight such gatherings are expected to be held in the country. An agriculture ministers' meeting will also be held.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a news conference that the selections will be made "primarily from those regions that have expressed an interest in hosting the ministerial meetings from the perspective of regional revitalization."
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has already heard pitches from lawmakers representing Aichi, Hokkaido and Niigata.
In addition to Japan, the G-20 consists of Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
