Japan Heritage story
Toba and Shima: meet the ama, Japan's women free divers
海女(Ama）に出逢えるまち 鳥羽・志摩
Toba and Shima in Mie are home to about 750 ama, women who dive without breathing gear for abalone, turban shells and seaweed: about half of all ama in Japan. Their 2,000-year-old craft, their offerings to Ise Jingu and their festivals are still part of daily life here.
Key facts
- Theme
- Sea and waterside, Festivals and rituals, Food and sake
- Era
- Edo, Meiji
- Region
- Kansai
- Official name in Japanese
- 海女(Ama）に出逢えるまち 鳥羽・志摩
- Official subtitle in Japanese
- ～素潜り漁に生きる女性たち～
- Official area (in Japanese)
- 三重県（鳥羽市，志摩市）
The story
Ama hold their breath and dive to the rocks for abalone and other catch, in what the official story calls a "50-second battle". This kind of fishing is found only in Japan and parts of Korea, and in Toba and Shima it goes back about 2,000 years. Every year, abalone caught by ama at Kuzaki is dried and offered to Ise Jingu, a custom said to begin when Princess Yamatohime was given abalone by an ama named Oben.
Because diving is dangerous, ama culture is full of faith. Ama mark their towels and tools with a star (seman) and a grid (doman) to ward off harm, and pray at temples and shrines such as Aonominesan Shofukuji, a sacred place for safety at sea. At Sugashima's Shirongo festival in July, ama in white diving clothes dive together for a pair of abalone to offer to the shrine.
What to see
- Ama huts (amagoya): eat seafood caught by ama and hear about their work from the divers themselves.
- Toba Sea-Folk Museum: about 60,000 items on ama and fishing villages, with shell-purple dyeing to try.Google Maps 海の博物館 鳥羽 (opens in a new tab)
- Aonominesan Shofukuji: a temple for safety at sea, with shrimp and fish hidden among the gate carvings.Google Maps 青峯山正福寺 (opens in a new tab)
- Mugisaki lighthouse: listen for the 'isobue' whistle ama make as they surface.Google Maps 麦埼灯台 (opens in a new tab)
- Toshijima: an island of ama where houses are marked with a charm for good catches.Google Maps 答志島 (opens in a new tab)
Plan your trip with the Mie prefecture guide and see more temples and shrines.
Good to know
- Visit an ama hut to eat their catch and hear their stories.
- In autumn and winter, look for 'kinko-imo', dried sweet potato snacks made by ama, drying in the villages.
- Read Mishima Yukio's *The Sound of Waves*, a novel set among the ama of Kamishima.
Questions travellers ask
What are ama?
Women who free-dive without breathing gear for abalone, turban shells and seaweed. About half of Japan's ama work in Toba and Shima.
Can I see ama diving?
Yes. Ama dive along the coast, and at Mugisaki lighthouse you can often hear the whistle they make as they surface.
Where it comes from
More heritage stories from the same area
- Hida no Takumi: 1,300 years of master woodworkers in Takayama
- Iga and Koka: in search of the real ninja
- Saigoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage: Japan's 1,300-year journey of the heart
- Saiku: the palace of the princess who prayed for Japan
- The Six Ancient Kilns: pottery born and raised in Japan
- Ueda's Shioda-daira: the ley line of sun and earth
Local foods from the same area
Crafts from the same area
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.