Ama – Mysterious Women Of The Sea In Japan

The Ama - who are likened to Japanese mermaids - can dive up to 10 m deep, swim kilometers offshore without snorkeling, propeller…. Many tourists think that they can do it thanks to the privilege of mermaids. A story about Ama - the mysterious women of the seasAma is a word referring to women in Japan who work as freelance divers. This is a career with a long tradition and bold traditional identity. However, due to the increasingly modern life, the number of mermaids - those who once entered Japanese myths and are considered mysterious daughters of the sea - is decreasing

. Big in a small hut, Kimiyo Hayashi quietly warmed up by the licking beach (where the salty soil, wild animals often come to lick salt) in Ago Bay, Japan. It was quite hot and humid outside, and she turned to talk very gently with her niece Tomomi Nakanishi.Ama - the mysterious daughters of the sea were often called the solemn "mermaids" As one of Japan's last female freelance divers, Hayashi and Nakanishi persistently cling to old ways to make a living.



The place where they were sitting had floors covered with ash-gray boards, the kettle had been boiled and soot was clinging to the ceiling. Their swimming gear was also primitive: their masks and swimsuits were soaked, old, dripping seawater dripping onto the ground. “I've lived in the ocean all my life, and I still feel it. cold penetrates into bone marrow. But I still love the tradition of warming up after that, ”said Hayashi, gazing at the pliers-shaped strip in front of her. Hayashia begins to talk about her life. Every morning at dawn, she would sit back and prepare her gear in silence to begin work Some Ama will go scuba diving with bare breasts, wearing only a loincloth with tenugi (a traditional Japanese cloth).



16 years old, after waving to his mother and grandmother, two former Ama and Hayashi always wondered what appealed to them in the vast ocean. Photo: Alamy. After 45 years, the Ama rituals with the sea have not changed. They put on their traditional white fabric clothes, then plunged into the deep sea. Sometimes, they swim a kilometer off the shore and dive 10 meters deep to catch shellfish such as clams and seaweeds, many people say that the Amas are capable of diving deep and offshore while not. Equipped with modern equipment such as snorkel, propeller, for they are enjoying the grace of mermaids. However, their work also faces countless difficulties such as rough seas, bad weather and sharks. "Sharks do not respect a mermaid," said a funny tourist.



Hayashi says sharks are a real threat to Ama and that over the years she has lost quite a few good friends because of the animal, each Ama must have her own scuba diving secret. In it, the key to this job is not how long you can hold your breath, but how to quickly find marine creatures. In his heyday, Hayashi, every time he came ashore, would carry a wooden bucket full of abalone, sea urchins, snails, lobsters and octopus. In addition, the Ama also look for pearls. Their good season can earn 27 million yen (about 5.8 billion). Usually, the Ama is the continuation of the mother passed down. The girls will take over the careers of their mothers and grandmothers.



“Today no one else does this profession. Our daughter does not want to follow her mother's career, "said Hayashi. There are still many people following this old scuba diving profession to maintain a long-standing tradition. However, the number has plummeted, from 8,000 in post-World War II to 2,000 today. The average age of these mermaids is 65. The oldest is over 80 years old. Besides, the Ama also face falling seafood prices, or the government's marine protection policies, tighter than the exploitation and fishing. However, Hayashi insists, she will never quit her job.



“I still have 20 years left to dive. I just need to be healthy and happy. I love my job. ”Visitors who meet these female divers have a common sense: they are a typical example of timelessness - where modern life in Japan has not reached. OK. In the Ise-Shima area, Mie province, visitors will have the opportunity to meet these diving women like "mermaids". The name "mysterious daughters of the sea" is mentioned for the first time in Japan's oldest poetry book, from the 8th century. To the Japanese people, Ama is a legend.



Nowadays, the Amas not only scuba diving, they also open a service to welcome tourists in their traditional tents. Here, they serve seafood dishes just picked up from the sea, fresh and popular with many tourists, and visitors are very excited to enjoy fresh seafood in Ama's tents. Photo: Alamy. According to Vnexpress.

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