Nearly a minute has passed yet the sea in front of us remains still, save for a ring-shaped life preserver bobbing upon its surface. Inside it is a mesh net, known as a sukari, filled with red, yellow ...

In a coastal hut in Mie Prefecture, a charcoal fire burns at the center as ama — "sea woman" in Japanese, who make a living by free-diving for seafood — warm their hands, or grill fresh catch for ...

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter. Ago Bay lies beneath a rolling coastline lined with lush green trees in the Mie Prefecture of Japan. A ...

The Ama divers of Japan, primarily in Toba and Shima, preserve an ancient tradition of free diving for shellfish and pearls, dating back 3000 years. Around 2,000 divers remain, sustaining their ...

SHIMA, Japan: Free-diving fisherwoman Kimiyo Hayashi could well be the last of her generation to make a living harvesting seafood using the traditional method. The 69-year-old is among only 500 “ama” ...

In the cool waters off Japan’s Ise-Shima National Park, Aiko Ohno, a seasoned ama diver, glides effortlessly through the sea. Using only goggles, fins, a weight belt, and a mesh net called sukari, she ...