It may not be long before we cease to see Japan's traditional female free divers, known as Ama, in the flesh. In Toba city, Ama forage for seafood like abalone, sea urchin and lobster, but their ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...