Yoshino Uemura came late to the world of female “ama” divers, taking the plunge in her 40s. But now, over two decades later, she feels there is no time to lose if her chosen profession is to ...

In celebration of International Women's Day 2019, I wanted to shine a spotlight on the ama, a title that has been ascribed to the famous female pearl divers of Japan.

In keeping with their centuries-old practice, the ama still dive without any scuba gear or air tanks. Many divers say it is hard work that doesn't offer much pay, and their numbers continue to ...

Resistance to the mascot started to stir up this August when more than 100 ama divers demanded that the mascot be revoked. “Ama in our city are all risking their lives to dive. In the past ...