Senior Ladies Diving Club

The Ama women on Iki Island in Southern Japan dive for sea urchins, as it is a delicacy widely enjoyed in Japan and exported to all parts of the world. The trade has a history of hundreds of years and over the centuries the work hasn’t changed much: The divers still use goggles, flippers and a steel hook as their only gear – and diving is still strictly reserved to women.
As a result of the climate change, the sea urchin has now become very difficult to find. This in turn cuts the profits of the divers and makes the craft increasingly unattractive for young women on the small island. So it is up to the elders to keep up the age-old tradition.

I shot this series in 2008 for mare magazine.