TSU, Japan -- Central Japan’s female pearl divers, the ama, are famous within the country, and they are increasingly well known abroad. They are turning into a valuable draw for tourists, helping to pull some overseas visitors away from the more common destinations like Tokyo and Kyoto.
The Shima Peninsula in Mie Prefecture is home to about 650 ama divers, the largest number in Japan. The city of Shima saw a record 9,000 visitors in fiscal 2018, according to the Shima City Tourism Association, and 24% of them came from overseas.
