Stories about people, stories about life.

Hometown stories.

Deep underwater there's a whole new world.

Top-quality sea urchins.

You won't find
this size anywhere else.

Today's story takes place in the beautiful waters off the Sadamisaki Peninsula, Ehime Prefecture.

You're so fit.

These men are traditional freediving fishers known as amashi.

One man left his job as a civil servant to become an amashi.

However...

Nothing?

No, I usually can't get much.

Seeing him really irks me.

Good luck to this newcomer.

Hope he catches something soon.

Strong winds blow across the Sadamisaki Peninsula.

This is where the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea meet.

The waves here are rough.

Rapid currents make it hard to keep the camera still.

Amashi have been collecting seafood here for centuries.

Abe Kazuma, 35, is a master amashi who grew up in the area.

What do I find most useful?

I think it's this.

Mugwort leaves.

I use them to keep
my goggles from fogging up.

Wisdom from long ago.

These leaves are like
a symbol of our tradition.

Amashi fishers dive alone.

They don't use any special equipment.

This is the sound of the isobue sea whistle.

Just before going underwater,

divers take long, thin breaths through pursed lips to store air in the lungs.

I dive up to 24 or 25 meters deep.

Kazuma dives extremely deep, more than 20 meters.

He can hold his breath for up to two minutes.

Not many divers can go that deep.

That's where the really special catches are found.

Amazing!

"I want to become a top-class amashi."

Kazuma is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

During one summer holiday
in junior high,

I got a chance to ride on
my dad's fishing boat.

He dove to a deep, dark spot
and came back with a great catch.

I was so surprised to see
that kind of marine life.

I realized there was
a whole different world there.

It's such a fun job.

I wish everyone could do it.

It's teeming with fishers.

In its heyday, more than 300 amashi frequented these waters.

But due to unpredictable incomes and a declining population,

few people choose to carry on this tradition.

Currently, about 30 amashi operate here, most of them elderly.

Fewer and fewer people
are doing this work.

It's so sad that this profession
may ultimately disappear.

There is one unspoken rule here.

Young fishers work the deep waters, while the older ones dive in shallow areas.

That's so the older amashi encounter less stressful conditions as they age.

When we dive close to each other...

we line up according to our age.

The older you are,
the shallower your diving location.

If someone younger dives
closer to the shores, we call them out.

Getting old can be a good thing.

But stamina has its limits.

You become like
an old and tired sumo wrestler.

A newcomer joined Sadamisaki's amashi in 2021.

Abalone liver tastes best
grilled with butter and soy sauce.

That's what I'm making today.

Ozaki Takeshi is thirty years old.

Takeshi used to work in the Fisheries Division of the Saga Prefectural Government.

I'll switch the lens.

I post content on social media,

and videos on YouTube.

It's part of my efforts to
contribute to the local community.

I want fishing to be my main work,
but I also like to do things on the side.

After a year-long apprenticeship, he's now on his own.

I forgot to take
my motion-sickness meds.

Hopefully I'll be OK.

Found them!

What a relief.
Found my meds.

He's a competent swimmer and snorkeler.

Fifty seconds after diving in...

Got anything?

Nope.

Nothing?

No, I usually can't catch much...

He makes his way to a different spot.

A shallower area.

I try to keep efficiency in mind.

I compensate for the lack of income
from seafood with red algae.

Seems he's unaware of the unspoken rule.

- I found two.
- Really?

I got good ones.

- You'll sell them?
- I might.

Looks like he's going to
become an octopus trapper.

Kazuma seems to have a gripe with Takeshi.

He says he wants to share
the appeal of local marine creatures.

But how can he
if he can't even catch them properly?

The first step is for him
to become a full-fledged amashi.

That's what I think.

Kazuma is the father of three children.

Something has been worrying him.

I was playing with my kids right here

when I felt something was off and
went to the hospital to get it checked.

Seven years ago, he was admitted to the hospital with heart issues and underwent surgery.

I had paroxysmal atrial fibrillation,
a type of arrhythmia.

The first thing I thought was,
"What if they tell me to quit diving?"

I was worried about the future.

I wondered how long my body
could keep up with this work.

"Thanks for always getting
sea cucumber."

Morning.

Are you heading out?

Amashi usually dive solo, but on this day,

Kazuma invited Takeshi to go with him.

The forecast said that the weather
will be good until the evening.

Let's head out then.
We'll turn back if things get bad.

Amashi are not simply taught the tricks of the trade and left to fend for themselves.

The pair dove again and again for three hours without exchanging any words.

Their skills are worlds apart.

Kazuma's caught three times more than Takeshi has.

You went in pretty deep.

I can dive down to 18 meters.

- But you can't stay long?
- My breath gives out.

I get scared so it's hard to stay long.

I know you feel bad.

It's been a slow year.

But if you get used to diving that deep,
your body can handle it.

I want him to see how much
I catch compared to him,

at the same depth and
in the same amount of time.

That may push him to change.

The turning point for Takeshi came in late summer.

He has started to train.

He dives over and over again.

I quit my last job.
This new job is not going well.

I can't dive deep
and barely catch anything.

It's time to work harder.

I have to.

Fellow amashi were waiting for him at the harbor.

Cheers.

If your body adapts to diving,
you'll naturally be able to catch more.

You need to communicate.

You have to take the initiative
because us rural people are shy.

Don't hesitate to rely on others.

Sing "I Love You" by that singer
with your last name.

Let's go.

Good morning.

His circle of friends has expanded.

The tides are good early in the morning.

Go as far offshore as you can.

He called to ask me where to go.

I told him to head further seaward.
He can spend two or three hours there.

He has also changed his diet to help his body adapt to going deep.

Kazuma is viewing him in a new light.

Seeing him nearby really irks me now.

He's started diving to
deeper spots than me.

The nerve.

I have high hopes for newcomers.

I want them to dive deep
and far out to sea.

But I never thought he'd actually pull it off.

Morning.

I'm planning to dive in
the Fujinomi area today.

Would you like to come?

You're inviting me?

Takeshi hopes to get Kazuma's approval.

In July, Kazuma's catch was triple mine.

I've improved over the last three months,
so I want to give it another go.

Diving deep underwater opens up a whole new world.

You moved well with the currents.

Really?
Glad to hear that.

This sea here is so bountiful.

So I want there to always be people
skilled enough to make the most of it.

I hope it's always like
that for generations to come.

It fills me with emotion.

Takeshi, I told you to
close that door.

People tend to get good
at things they love.

I'm sure he'll keep improving.

We've got a good successor.

He's a good kid.

We're rooting for him.

- What's that?
- For my goggles.

It keeps them from fogging
and it's eco-friendly.

My love for this profession keeps growing.

I want to dive deeper.

I'm happy to see that he's trying hard.

It's pushing me to work harder too.

How do I pick it up?