Since times of yore, Japan’s ama (“women of the sea”) have been diving for abalone and other underwater bounty – and most famously of all, for pearls. At Ama Hut Hachiman in IseShima, take the chance for a close-up look at their way of life. Try on elegant ama diving garb, join the divers in a traditional dance and feast on freshly caught seafood (vegetarians also catered for). Their warm hospitality and tales of the sea will move each and every listener. Ise-Shima, equidistant between Tokyo and Osaka, is less than two hours from Chubu Centrair International Airport Nagoya.