Zushi Beach in Kanagawa Prefecture opened for the summer on Friday as it battles to attract visitors following a clampdown on rowdy partygoers that saw numbers drop by more than half last year.

Cloudy skies greeted participants in an opening ceremony featuring around 400 children singing a nursery rhyme as Zushi became the first beach in the Kanto region to kick off the summer.

The Zushi Municipal Government is trying to rebrand the beach as a family-friendly spot after enforcing strict regulations last year banning loud music, alcohol and tattoos, after residents complained of unruly behavior and pounding dance music at the beach huts that line the shore.