• Toba Ama woman divers would harvest shellfish, seaweed, and oysters with pearls while holding their breath beneath these cold fertile waters. They served us the freshest turban shell and clams grilled over a charcoal fire in their Ama Hut by the sea in Ise Toba.
On ascending, the ama diver on exhale, would make a whistling-sigh sound into the wooden tub known to Japanese as "elegy of the sea," or "isobue" - a whistling sound which evokes sadness to those who hear it.
• These ama divers are environmentally sensitive and do not believe in over harvesting the seafood. Their outfit is white but they once dove naked in the chilly waters to a depth of 10-20 meters holding their breaths for up to 2 minutes. Their work is intensive as they have a small window when the tides are just right for their dives.
• The Ise Jingu Shrine is the holiest Shinto Shrine in Japan and dates back to the 3rd century; the shrine wooden supports are rebuilt with local timber every 20 years. The inner shrine is next to the holy Isuzu River.