"Ama" female free divers, who harvest sea life from the ocean, lead volunteers as they swim with torches during Shirahama Ama matsuri in Minamiboso 27,523 people played the daily Crossword recently.

In a coastal hut in Mie Prefecture, a charcoal fire burns at the center as ama — "sea woman" in Japanese, who make a living by free-diving for seafood — warm their hands, or grill fresh catch for ...

The Ama are female freedivers who have gathered pearls, lobsters and shellfish in Japan's coastal waters for millennia, and who feature heavily in local folklore. There were some 6,000 of these "women ...

Editor’s Note: This CNN Travel series is, or was, sponsored by the country it highlights. CNN retains full editorial control over subject matter, reporting and frequency of the articles and videos ...

As far back as 2,000 years ago, “ama” divers in Japan have free dove for pearls and seafood like abalone in the depths of Tokyo (Edo) Bay. Primarily women, the highly skilled swimmers foraged for the ...

MINAMIBOSO, Japan, July 22 (Reuters) - Bearing torches that lit up the night as they swam out into the ocean, Japan's storied "ama" prayed for an abundant catch in a ceremony held by these female free ...

Ise-Shima, Japan (CNN) — Aiko Ohno dives down in the cool waters off Japan’s Ise-Shima National Park, scanning the rocky seabed for urchins and turban shells. Three meters deep, she swims with ease ...