‘Sea women’ and sacred waterfalls: Exploring one of Japan’s most stunning secrets

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Aiko Ohno dives down in the cool waters off Japan’s Ise-Shima National Park, scanning the rocky seabed for urchins and turban shells. Three meters deep, she swims with ease without an oxygen tank, using just her goggles, fins, a weight belt and a sukari, a mesh net that’s attached to a floating ring.

“I just love the sea and being in the water,” she says after resurfacing.

Ohno is an ama diver, or a “sea woman” as they are known in Japan. For centuries, these traditional fisherwomen have lived off the riches of the waters around the Ise-Shima region, collecting seafood to sell at the market.

“We coexist with nature — not catching too much, and being conscious of protecting it. It’s a tradition that’s been passed down for thousands of years,” says Ohno, who moved here nine years ago from Tokyo to be an ama diver.

Today, the Pacific Ocean is a little choppy — the remnants of a late-season typhoon — so Ohno and her crew of freedivers don’t stay in the water for long. But they don’t need to — within 10 minutes their nets begin to fill.

Age is no barrier here. At 46, Ohno is one of the youngest in her group — the oldest diving today is 74.

Once a thriving industry, only about 2,000 ama divers remain in Japan now, according to estimates. Most of them are found in this idyllic region.

“The older divers still come here every day with a smile on their faces. I’ve learned that maybe that’s what gives them what we call ikigai, or a reason to live,” says Ohno.

“Nowadays, very few of the amas’ daughters become divers themselves, so I will likely be the only one in my generation to take over. But it’s something I love.”

Here in Ise-Shima, you can meet some of these living legends. Across the region, a handful of amagoya, or diver huts, dot remote beaches, with some allowing visitors to learn about the ama culture and taste their latest catch.

Found on the eastern tip of Mie prefecture, Ise-Shima is a region where ancient traditions, spirituality and the great outdoors collide. Where lush mountains make way for sprawling coastlines, protected inlets and remote islands. And where life moves at a slower pace — just how the locals like it.

Far from the buzz of major centers like Tokyo and Osaka, which are experiencing record visitor numbers, Ise-Shima is relatively untouched.

Though this place has been a popular pilgrimage destination for locals for centuries, when it comes to international tourism it remains one of Japan’s best-kept secrets.

Pilgrimage to the ‘soul of Japan’

Since the Edo period (between 1603 and 1868), pilgrims have come to this region to visit Japan’s most sacred Shinto shrine.

Ise Jingu is the ancient epicenter of Shinto spirituality. Made up of 125 shrines, this sprawling complex is home to the Naiku and Geko shrines — known as the soul of Japan.

Each year, millions of visitors come to pray to the sun deity, Amaterasu Omikami, and to soak up the area’s natural beauty. Here, centuries-old Japanese cedars and cypress trees tower over the structures.

Visiting this serene place of worship, located in Ise City, is considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many in Japan.

Ise Jingu is also the gateway to the vast Ise-Shima National Park.

Stretching 55,500 hectares in size from the mountains to the sea — or about the size of France — this region’s access to nature makes it a perfect location to enjoy an outdoor escape.

An ancient waterfall mediation ritual

About a 30-minute drive from Ise Jingu, nestled in the lush mountains of Toba, sits the sacred Shirataki Falls.

Here, visitors can experience a centuries-old Buddhist ritual called takigyo, or waterfall meditation, which involves sitting under the rushing flows to help cleanse the body and spirit.

“This area has been a place of nature worship for 1,300 years, where people purify themselves with the water,” says Shigeki Matsumoto, the Shirataki Daimyojin Shrine Association’s chairman, as he walks with us through the forest.

“The practice is said to wash away distractions and help you to find a positive manner in your life.”

But the ritual is not for the faint-hearted or cold adverse. The Shirataki Daimyojin Shrine Association leads travelers to experience the full power of the frigid waters cascading off the mountain year-round, even in the depths of winter.

The exhilarating practice requires self-control and mindfulness, testing your body and mind, as CNN senior correspondent Will Ripley found out.

Travelers can warm up afterward in one of the many forest saunas downstream from the falls.

Those interested in giving it a try should book in advance with the Shirataki Daimyojin Shrine Association.

Get the heart pumping

An array of outdoor activities can be enjoyed in the Ise-Shima region, from hiking and cycling tours to ziplining and even skydiving.

One of the best ways to explore the area is on four wheels.

In the south of the national park, near Minamiise Town, lies a labyrinth of off-road trails just waiting to be explored by ATV.

Kosuke Nakanishi is a local Ise guide who has spent years taking guests off the beaten path on these buggies.

He takes us whizzing through the forest, across muddy tracks and up to a coastal lookout to fully soak in the beauty of the peninsula.

“I like to be surrounded by nature and be active, so this is the perfect job for me,” says the guide, who works with the Taso Shirahama Resort.

“I love the mountains and the ocean, so I can blank out my mind and relax when I’m here.”

A taste of Ise-Shima

Surrounded by the Pacific, Ise-Shima is renowned for its abundance of seafood.

In ancient times the region was given the status of miketsukuni, meaning seafood from around the peninsula, such as spiny lobster and abalone, was sourced for Japan’s imperial family.

Nowadays, Ise-Shima seafood is found in high-end restaurants across Japan. But where better to sample it than straight from the source?

Whether it be from a humble restaurant serving the daily catch to haute cuisine venues offering a little taste of luxury, there’s no shortage of places to enjoy fresh seafood.

Perched on the edge of Ise-Shima National Park, Ran is a restaurant in the Oyado The Earth hotel serving guests a taste of the region as well as panoramic views of the Pacific.

Head chef Mototsugu Yamakawa specializes in Kaiseki, a meticulous style of dining that reflects the seasons of Japan.

For almost two decades he has prided himself on serving the freshest seafood from the peninsula, and sources produce from the ama divers when possible.

The restaurant’s menu changes seasonally, with chef Yamakawa and his team creating edible art. Their current star dish? Black abalone stir-fried with kohlrabi.

“Japanese cuisine is a visual feast to be enjoyed with the eyes and a sense of the season. That’s the best part of our cuisine,” says the chef.

“We want to offer our customers delicious food from here. The freshness is different when cooking with seafood straight from the sea, so it gives it a totally different flavor. As long as I’m here, I want to carry on protecting the ama tradition and nature.”

Getting there: Visiting Ise-Shima requires a detour from the popular tourist routes. It’s a three-hour drive or train journey from Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.

But that’s what makes this place so special. Travelers are rewarded with a different side of Japan — one of adventure, ancient traditions and endless beauty.

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