Shirahama's ama still earn at least 100,000 yen in the May to September season, with the best divers making around three million yen, a substantial extra income for these women whose main livelihood these days is farming rice, soya, broad beans and flowers.
Collecting abalone is hard work. Equipped with a long stick, the divers go down about 8m to 10m, either diving from small boats or swimming out from the beach, and only have as long as their breath holds -- about one minute 20 seconds -- to prise the molluscs from the rocks.
The youngest of the ama stay in the water for up to four hours a day, resting and chatting with friends on a floating wooden box.
Around Shirahama, 90 percent of the catch is made by divers, according to Matsumoto from the cooperative.
"The abalone is considered the best in Japan because of its size and flavor. This type of fishing will withstand foreign competition as long as the customers are prepared to pay for such quality," he said, explaining that the cooperative was trying to increase its resources by releasing abalone eggs into the sea.
However, the ama do not just continue to dive for the money which allowed some of them such as Motohashi to raise two children alone after separating from her husband when she was 29.
She does it "because it does me good," she said.
For Sanae Kiso, 56, who has been diving since she was 17, "the secret to carrying on is that you enjoy doing it. I love the sea and spending time with my friends," she said.
RSS