The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of interpersonal distance from others on the emotions and behavior of couples staying along by the sea. An investigation to observe the behavior of actual couples, and an experiment to assess the opinions of the couples were carried out in the early evening and the nighttime. In the results, the following points were demonstrated. ・ Couples tended to stay together longer and more closely when the distance from others was large. This tendency appeared more strongly in the nighttime than in the early evening. Couples expected to maintain a private space of at least 2 to 3 meters on both sides. ・ Women tended to notice the proximity of others more in the early evening. This tendency was stronger when the others were groups of men rather than mixed male-female groups. ・ Generally in the evening, couples' behavior was not affected by the attributes of others. In some cases, couples moved even closer together when another couple approached than when no-one was near.
