Fabulous photos of Japanese women abalone and oyster divers who descend to 75 feet, from the 1950s. Note long knife in her belt.

 Fabulous photos of Japanese women abalone and oyster divers who descend to 75 feet, from the 1950s. Note long knife in her belt. 

"They are known as ama. Ama, meaning “sea woman”,  are freedivers, women who make their living by diving to depths of up to 25 meters without using oxygen tanks or other breathing apparatus. 

Instead, the ama relies on their own skill and breathing techniques to propel them to the bottom of the ocean and back to the surface again while holding their breath for up to two minutes at a time.

"The history of the ama dates back at least 2000 years. There are references to the ama in famous texts such as the 8th century Man’yoshu collection of Japanese poetry and Sei Shonagon’s Pillow Book from the 10th century. The ama has also been immortalized in ukiyo-e woodblock prints from the Edo period....

"The widely held belief among ama divers themselves is that women are able to withstand the cold water better because of extra layers of fat on their body and are therefore able to stay in the water for long periods and collect a bigger catch. Another reason is the self-supporting nature of the profession, allowing women to live independently and foster strong communities.

"Perhaps most surprisingly, however, is the old age to which these women are able to keep diving. Most ama are elderly women (some even surpassing 90 years of age) who have practiced the art for many, many years, spending much of their life at sea.

"During the diving season, life for the ama revolves around the ama hut, or amagoya. This is the place where the divers gather in the mornings to prepare for the day, eating, chatting, and checking their equipment. After diving, they return to the hut to shower, rest and warm their bodies to recover from their day’s work.

"The atmosphere in the hut is one of relaxation and camaraderie, for six months of the year the women are free from the usual familial and social duties they are expected to perform, and they are able to connect with other women who share their love of the ocean and diving."

Sexist FB rules treating female breasts as obscene prevent me from displaying the best photos, since the women are wearing only shorts or a loincloth. 

Sources: https://rarehistoricalphotos.com