In Tokyo on Sunday, anti-G8 summit protesters marched through the streets in heavy rain, accusing the Group of Eight rich nations of causing poverty and world instability. The protests, a common occurrence at G8 summits, coincided with heightened security in preparation for this year's summit in Hokkaido, Japan. Over 1,000 people, including anti-capitalists, labor union members, and protestors from other countries, participated in two separate rallies in Tokyo. The streets were heavily guarded by anti-riot police as protesters carried signs with various messages such as "shut down G8 summit" and "G8=hunger". Some protesters were involved in altercations with the police. Japanese TV channel TV Asahi reported that two individuals had been arrested, although this information could not be confirmed by the police. Yu Ando, a 31-year-old employee of a municipal government in western Japan, expressed frustration with the G8 governments, attributing issues like environmental destruction and poverty in Africa to their actions. Ahead of the summit at Lake Toya, located approximately 760 km north of Tokyo, various domestic and international NGOs, including Oxfam, are planning to protest against a variety of topics such as globalization, the food crisis, and wars. There are expected protests near the summit venue, with protesters planning to gather at three camp sites as well as in Tokyo and Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido. However, tight security and high travel costs to the remote summit location may decrease participation. Human rights lawyers have noted challenges with Japanese immigration authorities making it difficult for activists to obtain visas through a complicated application process, with reports of some activists being detained for hours at immigration. During last year's G8 summit in Heiligendamm, Germany, around 30,000 protesters gathered in the area and breached a restricted zone set up for the summit, as well as blocking land routes into the area. At Lake Toya, leaders from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States will discuss issues such as rising food and oil prices, climate change, and African development. Japan has extended invitations to eight additional countries, such as Brazil, China, and India, to engage in discussions on climate change during the sidelines of an event.