Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Borneo orangutan
Malaysia • 12 days, 11 nights
Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest
from
Pastel de nata
Portugal • 8 days, 7 nights
Portugal: A Culinary Adventure from Porto to Lisbon
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Colors and volumes in the patio.
Monterrey’s Contemporary Art Museum (MARCO)
Inside Wonderwerk Caves, underground caves and excavation, Kuruman, Northern Cape
Wonderwerk Cave
The ‘Old Secretariat’ government building in New Delhi.
The 'Old Secretariat'
This set is inspired by a Roman arena.
Bozdağ Film Platolari
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The pavlova comes crowned with jewel-like fruit.
Central Park Boathouse
The Village Tavern of Long Grove - exterior.
The Village Tavern
Hunter House Hamburgers
L’Escamoteur
Names on the bartop.
The Dive
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Jeremy Bentham’s Auto-Icon in its new location in 2020
The Jeremy Bentham Auto-Icon: Why This Legendary Philosopher Put His Own Body on Display
about 2 hours ago
The truth is out there—somewhere.
The Truth Is Out There at the Dreamland Resort (or Should We Say ‘Area 51?’)
2 days ago
Edward Payson Weston
How the 6-Day Race Became an American Spectator Obsession
3 days ago
Alresford Spy Toilet
This Public Bathroom in a Sleepy English Village Was an Epicenter for Cold War Espionage
5 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Japan Toba-shi Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado
Gastro Obscura

Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado

Huts like this were once a hub for the female divers who collected pearls and seafood off Japan's coasts.

Toba-shi, Japan

Added By
Charlie
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Inside the diver’s hut.   cookiecookie / Atlas Obscura User
Inside the diver’s hut.   cookiecookie / Atlas Obscura User
Photo spot outside the hut.   cookiecookie / Atlas Obscura User
Ama-caught shellfish ready for cooking.   cookiecookie / Atlas Obscura User
Manhole covers near the hut.   cookiecookie / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

This weather-beaten structure is the Ama divers’ headquarters in Mie Prefecture. Salt encrusted huts like these were once an integral part of working Ama life, where the all-female divers could rest and socialize between diving for shellfish, seaweed, and pearls.

The earliest records date the practice of Ama freediving to as early as 927 AD. Today, there are still Ama in Japan, though not nearly as many as there used to be. Ama were once the lifeblood of coastal communities, but since being superseded by new finishing technologies, their tradition is on the verge of dying out.

Traditionally, these free divers wore tell-tale white diving suits, which were thought to ward off sharks, although modern Ama use wetsuits. Impressively, Ama divers working today still forgo air tanks, diving to the bottom of the choppy ocean on a single breath alone.

Although Ama divers usually start working as young as 13 or 14 years old, they often continue well beyond traditional retirement age. Their vitality is often attributed to the special training they undergo for free diving. The friendly staffers at the Hachiman Kamado hut are all in their advanced years, and they still wear uniforms of their forebears.

The Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado is one of the last vestiges of this unique tradition. Central to its work is an outdoor seating area and an indoor eating area where visitors can hear tales of the divers’ experiences over charcoal-grilled seafood. Working Ama catch everything on the menu; other trinkets and souvenirs are also on sale to help preserve the vanishing Ama profession. 

Related Tags

Women Kickass Women Seafood Unique Restaurants & Bars

Know Before You Go

A stroll through the nearby streets may reveal streamers of seaweed hanging on drying frames, and perhaps, if you’re lucky, you may even see even an Ama pinning them out.  If you don’t, not to worry: just look down. The drain covers in the locality have all been decorated with images of Ama divers at work. Booking may be required to eat a full meal with the divers; otherwise, visitors are welcome to drop by.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Hidden Japan: Sado Island, Nara & Kyoto

Explore a different side of Japan.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

cookiecookie

Published

October 30, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ama_(diving)
Ama Hut Hachiman Kamado
Toba-shi
Japan
34.388054, 136.898748
Visit Website

Nearby Places

Shima Spain Village

Shima, Japan

miles away

Meoto Iwa

Ise, Japan

miles away

Ise Grand Shrine

Ise, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Nearby Places

Shima Spain Village

Shima, Japan

miles away

Meoto Iwa

Ise, Japan

miles away

Ise Grand Shrine

Ise, Japan

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Japan

Japan

Asia

Places 786
Stories 111

Related Stories and Lists

14 Places Created By and For Women

List

By Michelle Cassidy

12 Extraordinary Women-Run Restaurants Around the World

List

By Sam O'Brien

Related Places

  • Concord, Massachusetts

    Grave of Anne Rainsford French

    The first woman in the United States to get a driver's license is buried here.

  • A bronze fast of a female face atop a pedestal with a lighthouse in the background

    New York, New York

    Girl Puzzle Monument

    An art installation commemorates journalist Nellie Bly's undercover reporting inside a New York asylum.

  • Michamvi, Tanzania

    The Rock

    Sitting atop a rock on Michamvi Pingwe beach, this restaurant becomes its own island at high tide.

  • Inside the restaurant.

    Lindesnes, Norway

    Under

    The world's largest underwater restaurant is submerged off the southern tip of Norway.

  • The (in)famous katsuo parfait.

    Nankoku, Japan

    Yuzuan Restaurant

    Come for the fish sundae, stay for the collection of Studio Ghibli cat buses.

  • Boston, Massachusetts

    Union Oyster House

    This nearly 200-year-old restaurant's history includes an exiled French prince, JFK, and a very hungry Daniel Webster.

  • The tiritas.

    Puerto Escondido, Mexico

    El Bunker de JP

    In this beloved beach town, a secret seafood haven lies tucked behind a car wash.

  • Laura Smith Haviland Statue.

    Adrian, Michigan

    Laura Smith Haviland Statue

    This life-sized effigy commemorates the dedicated abolitionist and social reformer.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.