KAMAKURA, Kanagawa -- At around noon on Aug. 20, a beautiful blue sky spread over Yuigahama Beach in this east Japan city. As the sun shone down, people could be seen swimming and strolling along ...

With such a splendid beach spreading right before one's eyes, it's a terrible shame that it can't be enjoyed this summer. Across Japan, there are roughly 1,000 beaches for swimming. Whether they ...