Meet the legendary ama divers and step into one of Japan’s most enduring living traditions
Japan’s iconic ama divers are women who continue a 2000-year-old cultural tradition. On tour with us, you’ll learn their history, admire their craft, and share a freshly caught meal with them.
Along Japan’s rugged coastline, where the rhythm of the tides still shapes daily life, a remarkable tradition endures. The ama divers of Japan, a multigenerational group of women, have been free diving for centuries, slipping beneath the water’s surface on a single breath to harvest the ocean’s gifts.
Today, ama divers remain one of the most iconic symbols of traditional Japanese culture. Their way of life reflects a deep respect for nature, a commitment to sustainability, and a steady resilience that has been passed down through generations. Yet for all their cultural importance, the ama in Japan are becoming increasingly rare, and meeting them on our Japan for Women: Tokyo, Ise-Shima Peninsula & Kyoto tour offers a meaningful opportunity to witness a chapter of Japan’s history and culture that’s simultaneously enduring and ephemeral. Read on to learn about the legendary women of the sea: Japan’s ama divers
Who are the ama divers?
Over 2,000 years ago, long before scuba tanks or modern gear, Japanese ama divers relied on skill, strength, and an intimate knowledge of the water to gather abalone (a prized, edible shellfish), seaweed, and pearls. Today, the ama divers’ tradition lives on as these Japanese women divers choose to descend into the depths without snorkels or oxygen tanks.
Historically, this demanding role was taken on primarily by women. Japanese women divers were believed to possess greater endurance in cold water and a natural ability to regulate their breathing, but practicality played a role as well: while men fished offshore, women could dive closer to land and return quickly to care for their families. Over time, the ama divers tradition became a women-led practice, rooted in cooperation, shared knowledge, and mutual respect.
What makes the ama in Japan especially remarkable is their sustainable approach to fishing. Ama divers work within the natural limits of the human body—one breath at a time—which inherently restricts how much they can take from the sea. Long before sustainability became a global conversation, Japanese ama were practicing it as a way of life.
Why this experience is so rare
Despite their legendary status, the ama divers of Japan are becoming fewer each year. Modern career paths, reduced interest, and the physical demands of free diving have made it less likely for younger generations to continue the ama divers tradition. Today, the average age of an ama diver is around 70, and while some divers continue the work well into their 80s, younger women are less likely to learn the skill.
This decline is exactly what makes meeting ama divers one of the rarest cultural experiences in Japan. When you meet the ama divers on our Japan for Women: Tokyo, Ise-Shima Peninsula & Kyoto tour, you’re not just learning about their history—you’re meeting the people who carry it forward, even as their numbers dwindle. In a country where tradition and modernity coexist in fascinating tension, the ama offer one of the clearest connections to Japan’s coastal past. By experiencing this tradition through responsible travel in Japan, you help support the communities working to preserve it—ensuring these stories, skills, and values endure for generations to come.
How you’ll experience the ama diver tradition on tour
Want to meet locals in Japan who carry on one of the country’s most extraordinary living traditions? When you join our Japan for Women: Tokyo, Ise-Shima Peninsula & Kyoto tour, you’ll join the Ise-Shima ama divers on their native shores when you visit an ama hut. Meet with the divers and learn their stories and traditions in this intimate, welcoming space. You’ll sit by the glowing charcoal fire that warms the women between dives, listening to their stories and asking questions about life as an ama diver.
The experience continues at the Osatsu Ama Culture Museum, where you’ll explore how this remarkable tradition has been passed down through generations—and why it still matters today. And no Ise-Shima Peninsula tour would be complete without one of our favorite food and culture experiences in Japan—a freshly grilled lunch plucked straight from the sea and prepared over smoky charcoal. You’ll cap off the experience with a hands-on necklace-making workshop led by the divers, crafting a one-of-a-kind memento using sea glass and real ama pearls. It’s the perfect souvenir to commemorate your day spent among the ama.
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