What is "shonan"

is the name of a region along the coast of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture, central Japan. Centered on Enoshima, an island about 50 kilometers southwest of Tokyo, the Shōnan region stretches from Ōiso in the west to Hayama in the east, including Hiratsuka, Chigasaki, and Kamakura. Because of the bay, the region benefits from a mild climate and long beaches covered with dark volcanic sand.