Shōnan

Shōnan (湘南) is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan. Centered on Sagami River, about 60 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the Shōnan region stretches from Ninomiya in the west to Fujisawa in the east, including Ōiso, Hiratsuka, and Chigasaki. Because of the bay, the region benefits from a mild climate and long beaches covered with dark volcanic sand.