海女　Ama women free-divers

Ama, meaning woman of the sea literally, free-dive to catch marine products from the rocky bottom of the sea. This diving method is only seen in Japan and Korea. In Ise-shima area of Mie, there are about 800 Ama divers while about 2000 Ama are existing in Japan as of 2014.

Ama divers dive into the sea without any mechanical diving equipment traditionally. Ama's traditional diving method has been succeeded since ancient times. From Japanese mythology, we can imagine the existence of Ama divers. According to the mythology, imperial princess Yamatohime-no-mikoto who was traveling the country to search a suitable location for the deity, Amaterasu-omikami, was impressed by the splendid abalone. It is said that abalones caught by Ama has been offered to Ise Jingu where Amaterasu-Omikami is enshrined since then. Ama divers harvest marine products with sustainable manner, diving in accourdance with their own rules to conserve resources. We are often empowered by Ama who has been living in coexistence with the sea and offer experiences to dive with such an actual Ama diver.