Japanese Ama Diving

Japanese Ama { 海人 } diving is one of those kind-of-well-known traditional sports, YOU may not have heard of it, but a lot of people IN JAPAN know what it is…and a look of people know what it is but not where it came from.  But Ama diving isn’t that popular anymore. Even in Japan.

LOTS OF PEOPLE LOVE AMA DIVING. If we face the facts, Ama diving has been going on for 1000’s of years. But why is it not that popular anymore? Of course, the sport is really, really, really, really, old. It’s either all year or yearly done, and the divers are USUALLY WOMEN. You have to be in really good shape to Ama dive too.

The point of Ama diving is to dive to the bottom of the water source, (such as a lake or a small ocean) and pick up whatever you can find and give it to tourists. (or small children with guidance.) The main thing to pick up though, is PEARLS. I know that you were thinking. An Ama diver, going down, picking up some weird looking “something” and giving it to a small child and then it starts to cry. That’s not the point. Originally, they would dive for foods like fish, seaweed, shellfish, sea urchins, and clams or oysters. And now, they dive down, into dark water, find the UGLIEST CLAM they can find. (The uglier ones have the best chance of a rare pearl!) They bring some ugly ones up, crack them open, and give the audience a whole bunch of great, shiny, $ WORTH ALOT $, pearls. And some Ama divers still do follow the original reason for diving—food!

The divers are located in various places around Japan. In the Okinawa Island, the divers are called, Ama, (for girls) uminchu (for boys) and Kaito, (for all divers on the Izu Peninsula.). (I can’t type the Kanji for Kaito or Uminchu…sorry) (Kanji are different ways to say Japanese words…. I’m learning!) So I guess Ama diving is popular in different parts of Japan.

The divers usually wear as little as possible, making it absolutely amazing for them do go so deep so fast and able to stay warm! Since the 1960’s and back Ama have worn only a loincloth.... omega that’s…ok… But are allowed now to wear torso covering wetsuits (this depends on the place they are diving in) and masks, fins, and for tourists white and (some parts) transparent wetsuits (like on their stomach and back for warmth. (it keeps the tradition alive, but they are NOT naked! Don’t worry I wouldn’t have done this if they were!) And no air tanks or scuba gear!

I for one think that Ama diving is a great sport, and I’m happy I could write about it! I hope you learned A LOT about Ama diving, and I hope I can write another extra credit report about another Japanese sport…. Without not dressing out!

One last thing...you can see Pearl Divers at Sea World in Orlando. Although I don’t know for sure, but I suspect they are based on the tradition of Japanese Ama Diving.