MINAMIBOSO, Japan (Reuters) - Bearing torches that lit up the night as they swam out into the ocean, Japan's storied "ama" prayed for an abundant catch in a ceremony held by these female free divers ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ama simply means woman of the sea and refers to these Japanese women, who practice free diving. A job traditionally reserved for women, as it did not require them to go to sea in a boat like the ...

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Ise-Shima, Japan (CNN) — Aiko Ohno dives down in the cool waters off Japan’s Ise-Shima National Park, scanning the rocky seabed for urchins and turban shells. Three meters deep, she swims with ease ...