Japanese Ama
Traditions in Japan are dying.
There aren’t, for instance, many Ama divers left.
Translated literally, Ama (海女) means Women of the Sea. In Japanese tradition, women who worked as Ama free dived for pearls, shellfish, seaweed, octopuses…products of the sea. In some areas, men also did this, but it’s generally been an occupation dominated by women.
Way back when, the Ama dived with minimal gear,usually just a loin cloth but over time, they’ve adopted wetsuits, hookah compressors, scuba tanks and even uniforms in some instances (usually at tourist attractions)…to keep up with the times and maximise productivity.
|