The free-diving Ama of the Toba and Shima area personify an ancient local culture characterized by a determination to coexist with the ocean, “now and forever.”

Who are the Ama of Toba and Shima?

The sea around the Shima Peninsula supports a diverse range of marine life due to the nutrient-rich seawater of Ise Bay mixing with the Kuroshio Current. Actively fishing in these waters are the ama of Toba and Shima. There are 514 ama (according to a 2022 survey by the Toba Sea-Folk Museum) still engaged in free diving to catch abalone, turban shells, seaweed, and other marine life.

The ama have a long history—this tradition has continued since ancient times, with abalone shells and ancient tools having been discovered at ruins from as far back as the Yayoi period (a period of Japanese history from about 2,300 to 1,700 years ago). The rich legacy of the ama can also be seen in the inclusion of Noshiawabi（stretched abalone strips） in the sacred meals given in offerings at Ise Jingu, a practice that has taken place since the shrine was established. The abalone used in the offerings are caught by ama in the town of Kuzaki, Toba, then thinly sliced, dried, and stretched to make Noshiawabi.　　

A Fishing Practice from the Past

Ama fishing involves free diving into the ocean without oxygen cylinders, giving divers about one minute of air to search for and acquire their catch. Along with abalone, catches include turban shells, small abalone, Japanese spiny lobsters, sea urchins, and seaweed.

(An example of the types of seafood caught by ama. Japanese spiny lobsters are caught by ama in certain areas only.)

The tools and equipment used for fishing are fairly simple; while the materials themselves may have been updated for the modern age, the methods of catching shellfish and seaweed have barely changed from past to present.

An example is the kaginomi, which is used to pull abalone off stones and rocks. The tool, a chisel with one end curved into a hook, is indispensable for ama fishing, but those in use today retain the same appearance as kaginomi of yesteryear.

Fishing Where Ama “Only Take What Is Necessary”

One reason for the sustainable nature of ama fishing is the ingenious measures put in place to respect nature and protect resources.

For instance, while underwater goggles made of glass had been developed in the Meiji period (1868–1912), their use was banned for a decade in many fishing villages to prevent resources from being depleted from overfishing. This awareness lies at the heart of ama continuing to free dive for catches in the present day.

Further, rules have been put in place even today to conserve resources while fishing, such as not catching abalone that measure 10.6 cm or less and limiting the days that ama can go out to fish.

Such measures are what has allowed ama to continue fishing in a sustainable manner over the centuries. At the Toba Sea-Folk Museum in Toba City, you can learn about the history and tools of ama divers.

The “Everchanging Sea” as Told by a Current Ama Diver

Ms. Yamashita, a veteran ama diver from Shima, has been close to nature ever since she was young, and has many years of diving experience under her belt.

She says, however, that the abnormal movement of the Kuroshio Current in recent years has caused a marked decrease, and even the disappearance, of seaweed, resulting in smaller populations of abalone, turban shells, and other marine organisms (a phenomenon known as iso-yake, or rocky shore denudation), with the sea becoming “as blank as a desert.”

Efforts to Protect the Sea

On top of serving as a food source for abalone and turban shells, seaweed plays a role in dampening waves. As the impacts from global warming and the Kuroshio Current reduce the amount of seaweed, restrictions are placed on the days when it is safe to fish. For this reason, ama are working to revive kelp forests and other sites where seaweed grows in abundance. Other efforts include culling Diadema setosum, a variety of long-spined sea urchin that eats seaweed, and releasing spat (young shellfish). Ama continue to work on initiatives to protect the environment even on days when they cannot fish, saying that “if we do nothing, the situation will only get worse.”

At Amanoniwa, a restaurant where Ms. Yamashita and other current ama work, you can savor abalone, Japanese spiny lobsters, and other ama-caught delights of the sea from Toba and Shima grilled right in front of your eyes.

(A full course at Amanoniwa: full course of Ise lobster & abalone)

“I was thinking about retiring and taking it easy, but I was shocked to hear that the amount of seafood caught by ama last year was less than one-tenth of what it was when the sea was in a better state. This was no good, I thought. There needed to be a place where ama could work even when they couldn’t go into the sea. If conditions under the water get better in the meantime, I’d like to return to the sea as an ama. After all, I love the sea.”

Ms. Yamashita spoke emphatically about wanting to make use of her past experience and join forces with others to somehow protect the sea, thereby enabling younger generations of ama to continue fishing in the future.
It was clear to see her desire to continue working as an ama in her beloved sea and ensure that ama fishing will thrive for many years to come.