Japan

Ama: The Women of the Sea 海女

->One of the most enjoyable pieces I ever written. Curios about how can they dive 20m deep for 2000 years without modern gear!
->Uncover some fun facts and science behind their breathing techniques and hope you love them as much as I do.

Beautiful people of Japan channel, sharing here as I forgot to post my last piece on Ama divers.

Beautiful people of Japan channel, sharing here as I forgot to post my last piece on Ama divers. 

https://paragraph.xyz/@beecurious/ama-the-women-of-the-sea

Founder of /farcastea
Newsletter for Japan: https://paragraph.xyz/@beecurious
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One of the things I found fascinating is that, they developed a breathing technique called 'isobue' This hyperventilation process lowers the carbon dioxide levels in the blood, allowing the diver to hold her breath for a longer period underwater.

Also, fun fact 3000 years ago, Ama divers would dive shirtless. I would have loved to see them, I have this image of mermaid in my head. 
However, during the early Showa era, they started wearing "Isogi," initially a white kimono believed to also deter sharks.

Lastly, Mie Prefecture has established Japan's first Ama Preservation Society, aiming to have Ama diving recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. So I hope it can be soon recognized.

Great video on showing how they breath before entering the water:

Great video on showing how they breath before entering the water: https://youtu.be/sTIf2vA-_JQ

If you thought why women were chosen for this sport? Is because woman has higher subcutaneous fat content, which offers better insulation against the cold, making them well-suited for underwater work.