Insight into a Unique Diving Culture
Meet Ise-Shima’s traditional free divers and savor seafood delicacies
Japan’s ama (“women of the sea”) have been diving for abalone, pearls, and other underwater bounty since ancient times. These female free divers captured the imagination of Japan’s earliest poets with their resilience and vigor, becoming a symbol of the coastal communities where they settled. Even today, many ama dive well into their seventies.
Ama Hut Hachiman, located within Ise-Shima National Park, is your chance to learn about this 3,000-year-old way of life from a first-person perspective. Try on unique ama diving garb, join the divers in a traditional dance, and feast with them on freshly caught seafood. The warm hospitality and thrilling stories of these experienced divers will leave an unforgettable impression.
From Shin-Osaka Station, take the Midosuji Line to Nanba Station (about 15 minutes). From Nanba Station, take the Ise-Shima Liner to Toba Station (about 120 minutes). A shuttle bus is available from Toba Station to Ama Hut Hachiman.
Contribution to Sustainability
A world away from commercial fishing, female divers, known as Ama, have been sustainably free diving for shellfish in the pristine waters around Ise-Shima for over 3,000 years. Now through experiencing its culture, you can help this ancient, sustainable practice endure and support future generations of Ama divers.
Ama Hut HACHIMAN
| Address |
819 Ousatsu-cho, Toba-shi, Mie-ken |
|---|---|
| Duration |
approx. 50 min. or more |
| URL |
