Why Japan is a fitting stage for surfing's Olympic debut

ON THE SHONAN COAST, Japan — In summer, the action gets going at four in the morning. Men and women in black wetsuits begin to appear, lugging their boards on foot or tucked into special bike racks. 

Before the rest of the country wakes up, Kugenuma beach is already a sea of surfers, perhaps the most popular slice of seashore in the country. Japan's island geography means a beach is rarely far away. So while Hawaii is the undisputed birthplace and global mecca of modern surfing, Japan has nurtured a fanatic wave-rider culture all its own — in many respects, a fitting stage for the Olympic debut of one of the world's oldest sports. Surfing is making its debut at the games on Sunday.