Ama hut Osatsu Kamado

Kamado is a hut where ama divers rest after a hard day's work. Ama divers welcome tourists to talk about their stories, while having fresh seafood and snacks. It is a great opportunity to learn authentic ama culture.

There are two ama huts: Mae-no-hama, which is a bigger hut built on the beach, and Ozego-San, which stands at the end of a narrow path along the seashore. Both huts offer lunch with grilled fresh seafood over a charcoal fire including giant clams, turban shells, noble scallop, and dried seafood. The sea urchin rice served at the end of the meal is also delicious. Lobsters and abalone are available with extra charge. For those who want to get to know the divers and their life more, a tea time is arranged to talk at length with the divers while eating rice cakes and baked shellfish snack together.

Ama divers have a long history, dating back 3,000 to 5,000 years, and are even mentioned in ancient Japanese books. The ama divers drop into the sea without a tank to collect abalone, turban shells, sea urchins, and other shellfish; as well they collect seaweed such as wakame, hijiki and tengusa, which aids in preventing overfishing and helps preserve resources for future generations. Learn about their interesting unique customs and rituals.

The hut also displays tools used by ama divers, so it is a good place to see the items and ask about them.