My interest in Japan was cultivated from a young age. I grew up eating Japanese food, watched Pokémon until way past my bedtime, and even tried to learn the language when I was six years old. It’s the first place I remember ever wanting to visit, despite not grasping just how far away from home it was, or what it would take me for me to get there. So once I had the freedom to travel extensively it was one of the first destinations I visited—and since then I’ve returned several times, even spending 21 weeks over the course of three years in the Land of the Rising Sun leading up to the pandemic.
Japan has been closed for over two years now, but as of August, the government is loosening its border restrictions, allowing guests coming with tour groups to explore the island nation. While I yearn for the destination to fully open, allowing me to once again hop freely from one city to the next with a JR Pass in hand, it felt like the right time to reflect on some of the truly incredible moments that I had in years past. From meeting warm, hospitable locals to learning about ancient practices, there’s so much to uncover in the eclectic country.
Here are some of my favorite experiences—and how you can have similar ones, too.
Meeting Ama
Photo: JNTO
Female free divers known as ama can be found throughout the country, but the majority of them live in Mie Prefecture. Curious to learn more, I ventured out to the Shima Peninsula to meet some of the women keeping this fading, centuries-old tradition alive, watching them dive for turban snails and abalone and savoring a lunch where they prepare their catch over smoldering coal. But it’s our conversation that I valued most. The stories they had to share about enduring the hardships of being an ama, and gaining insight into what their lives are like resulted in one of the most genuine and authentic moments I’ve ever had while traveling. (Plus, their forward humor was a welcome reprieve from the overly polite interactions that I usually have in Japan.)
How to experience: If you want to have lunch at an amagoya (ama hut), make a reservation at Osatsu-kamado, Hachiman, Satoumian, or have one arranged by Amanemu if you’re staying at the luxurious resort.
AloJapan.com