Now Reading: 80-year-old former Ama diver in Japan symbolises fading tradition
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80-year-old former Ama diver in Japan symbolises fading tradition
80-year-old former Ama diver in Japan symbolises fading tradition
An 80-year-old former Ama diver in Japan's Mie Prefecture has become a symbol of the centuries-old tradition of female free divers who collect seafood without oxygen tanks. The Japan Times profiled Reiko…
The Story in Brief
An 80-year-old former Ama diver in Japan's Mie Prefecture has become a symbol of the centuries-old tradition of female free divers who collect seafood without oxygen tanks. The Japan Times profiled Reiko Nomura in 2012, noting she had stopped diving a few years earlier and was working as a host at an Ama hut. Ama, meaning 'women of the sea', can free-dive to 15 metres and hold their breath for up to 60 seconds. The tradition, referenced in eighth-century poetry collections, is in decline as the number of active Ama dwindles.
The Indian Opinion
Social media often romanticises the 80-year-old Ama as a superhuman still diving daily, ignoring that Reiko Nomura had stopped before being profiled. This frames a complex, dying tradition as a simple inspiration story. The real test will be whether Japan's tourism push can reverse the decline in active Ama, or whether they become museum exhibits.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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