If you squint your eyes, it almost looks like Club Med: an expanse of blue sea, a stretch of beach, white tents and umbrellas on the sand, and plenty of staff ready to help out. However, this isn't a tropical paradise, it's Tokyo Bay and Odaiba Plage is an attempt to turn it into a swimming spot.
Taking the plunge
From July 31 to Aug. 5, the small beach at Odaiba, the artificial island off downtown Tokyo, was open for bathing. Normally, swimming isn't allowed at Odaiba Plage due to water quality concerns, but rebranding can work wonders. Odaiba Plage, its temporary moniker, was inspired by Paris Plages, a series of summer leisure spots that have been organized along the Seine and other Paris waterways since 2002.
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