Here in Italy most men wear board shorts when they go to the beach or to the swimming pool "for pleasure" (eg. holiday resorts and the like), but I used to take swimming lessons and there everyone wore swim briefs. I've never seen anyone wearing cotton briefs (unless it is an unexpected bath, eg. they are with friends in the evening and they decide to go to the sea, but that generally doesn't happen in pools)

Thank you all for your responses! It was very informative to hear the "status" of swimwear outside Japan! lol

In Germany, men don't wear cotton briefs at all, and bikinis are two-piece swim suits for woman. For my generation, swim briefs are quite normal to wear, especially if you're going to the pool to do real swimming (for your health etc.) and not just to laze around in the water. If you're going for pleasure, you wear board shorts, and especially the younger generation also tries to swim with them, which of course more difficult than with swim briefs because they increase drag quite a bit.

In Australia no men wear old fashioned cotton briefs or a bikini! Most men wear speedos [ swim briefs] to the swimming pool and board shorts to the beach. Just like the Olympic swimmers in London.To see what speedos look like go to: http://www.swimweargalore.com.au/speedo?gclid=CKC1zNH9trICFUhZpQodUX0ALw