WAJIMA, Ishikawa Prefecture—Natsuki Kadoki has stuck with her fishing trade as an “ama” skin diver despite years of decreasing resources, pay and colleagues. But now, an extraordinary new ...

Among them are the Ama divers of Japan, the “women of the sea,” who have still upheld the age-old tradition of free diving in search of shellfish, abalone, and pearls. Found primarily in the ...

In the cool waters off Japan’s Ise-Shima National Park, Aiko Ohno, a seasoned ama diver, glides effortlessly through the sea. Using only goggles, fins, a weight belt, and a mesh net called ...

The influencers also put on diving masks used by ama and learned about their history. Each influencer has around 100,000 followers on Instagram. Their posts are generally directed at well-heeled ...