Ama

Ama
The name given to the young women who originally dove for the oysters
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Ama
Japanese female divers diving mainly for pearls. Traditionally and even as recently as 1960s, they were trained to dive without scuba gear or air tanks. They are famous for diving for pearls but originally they dived in search of seafood.

Traditionally, Japanese pearl diving was done by women who were called "Ama" (above, left). The word ama literally means "sea woman." This Japanese tradition dates back 2000 years. As recently as the 1960s, Ama divers wore only a loincloth.

See also: Pearls, Natural pearls, Stone, Natural pearl, Natural