Carrying torches that illuminated the night, Japan's legendary "ama" divers ventured into the ocean, praying for a bountiful harvest during a ceremony conducted by these female free divers for decades.
This year, however, the majority of the 80 participants in the weekend event in Minamiboso on the Pacific coast were volunteers, as the number of women willing to pursue this type of diving for a living in this fishing community has declined due to age and lack of interest. Japan, known for having the world's oldest population, saw the number of female ama, a term referring to sea-diving fisherwomen, drop to just 40 last year in the Shirahama district of Minamiboso, a 70% decrease from 2006, according to a local fisheries cooperative. Their average age in 2023 was 72, up from 68 in 2006.
"Those who continue to go out to sea are indeed getting older. We have managed to sustain the festival by seeking cooperation from people in this area and beyond," said Shoichi Iida, who has been involved in organizing the festival for years. Adhering to their ancient tradition, the ama dive without scuba gear or air tanks. Many divers find the work physically demanding and poorly compensated, leading to a continued decline in their numbers as few young women are interested in taking up the tradition.
"This is not a job where you can make quick money," said Yoshino Hirano, an ama with 16 years of experience. Despite the challenges, Ayumi Inoue, a 51-year-old local resident, decided to train as an ama three years ago.
"I grew up watching older women work as ama, and I was drawn to the smiles on their sun-tanned faces, which I found very attractive and cool," Inoue said. "Seeing the number of ama divers dwindling is honestly disheartening."
