{"id":40656,"date":"2025-01-09T23:23:51","date_gmt":"2025-01-10T04:23:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/exploring-one-of-japans-most-stunning-secrets\/09\/01\/2025\/"},"modified":"2025-01-09T23:23:51","modified_gmt":"2025-01-10T04:23:51","slug":"exploring-one-of-japans-most-stunning-secrets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/exploring-one-of-japans-most-stunning-secrets\/09\/01\/2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Exploring one of Japan\u2019s most stunning secrets"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Editor\u2019s 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 within the sponsorship, in compliance with our policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Aiko Ohno dives down in the cool waters off Japan\u2019s Ise-Shima National Park, scanning the rocky seabed for urchins and turban shells. Three meters deep, she swims with ease without an oxygen tank, using just her goggles, fins, a weight belt and a sukari, <\/em>a mesh net that\u2019s attached to a floating ring.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI just love the sea and being in the water,\u201d she says after resurfacing.<\/p>\n

Ohno is an ama diver, or a \u201csea woman\u201d as they are known in Japan. For centuries, these traditional fisherwomen have lived off the riches of the waters around the Ise-Shima region, collecting seafood to sell at the market.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe coexist with nature \u2014 not catching too much, and being conscious of protecting it. It\u2019s a tradition that\u2019s been passed down for thousands of years,\u201d says Ohno, who moved here nine years ago from Tokyo to be an ama diver.<\/p>\n

Today, the Pacific Ocean is a little choppy \u2014 the remnants of a late-season typhoon \u2014 so Ohno and her crew of freedivers don\u2019t stay in the water for long. But they don\u2019t need to \u2014 within 10 minutes their nets begin to fill.<\/p>\n

Age is no barrier here. At 46, Ohno is one of the youngest in her group \u2014 the oldest diving today is 74.<\/p>\n

Once a thriving industry, only about 2,000 ama divers remain in Japan now, according to estimates. Most of them are found in this idyllic region.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe older divers still come here every day with a smile on their faces. I\u2019ve learned that maybe that\u2019s what gives them what we call ikigai,<\/em> or a reason to live,\u201d says Ohno.<\/p>\n

\u201cNowadays, very few of the amas\u2019 daughters become divers themselves, so I will likely be the only one in my generation to take over. But it\u2019s something I love.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here in Ise-Shima, you can meet some of these living legends. Across the region, a handful of amagoya,<\/em> or diver huts, dot remote beaches, with some allowing visitors to learn about the ama culture and taste their latest catch.<\/p>\n

Found on the eastern tip of Mie prefecture, Ise-Shima is a region where ancient traditions, spirituality and the great outdoors collide. Where lush mountains make way for sprawling coastlines, protected inlets and remote islands. And where life moves at a slower pace \u2014 just how the locals like it.<\/p>\n

Far from the buzz of major centers like Tokyo and Osaka, which are experiencing record visitor numbers, Ise-Shima is relatively untouched.<\/p>\n

Though this place has been a popular pilgrimage destination for locals for centuries, when it comes to international tourism it remains one of Japan\u2019s best-kept secrets.<\/p>\n

Pilgrimage to the \u2018soul of Japan\u2019<\/h3>\n
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