The Plight of Japan’s Ama Divers
On the last day of fishing season, Ayami Nakata begins her early morning by lighting a little fire in her hut next to the harbor. The temperature level outside hovers around freezing, and as Nakata warms, she becomes a wetsuit; collects her facemask, sculpt, and drifting net bag; and strolls to the docks with her other half, where they board his little fishing boat and motor a couple of hundred meters offshore. There she begins her shift.For an hour and a half, Nakata takes minute-long plunges into the freezing water, free-diving 20 feet to the rocky seabed and kelpy coast, and getting any abalone, sea cucumbers, and turban shells she can discover. The water is so biting that she can hardly feel her fingers or pinch them together. She cups each catch in her hands and swims directly back up...