Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that the Lake Toya hot spring resort in Hokkaido will be the venue for the Group of Eight summit in 2008.

Abe said he decided to go with Lake Toya not only because it has the right facilities but also because its natural beauty resonates with the times.

"The place has an image of the 'beautiful country,' " Abe said. "The environment will become a topic for the summit next year."

Abe also said the remote setting in Hokkaido is relatively easy to secure and will not intrude on the daily lives of its residents.

Lake Toya was one of several venues being considered for the summit, which is being held in Japan for the first time in seven years.

The cities of Yokohama and Niigata bid to host the summit as port cities, while Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo prefectures proposed hosting a "Kansai summit."

Not to be outdone, Okayama and Kagawa prefectures pitched a "Setouchi summit."