A day in the life of an ama diver
The few remaining ama female divers are the torchbearers for one of Japan's most remarkable cultures. As hardy as they are alluring, these women free-dive to the ocean floor to gather pearls and seafood for trading ashore. On this Journey, guests are taken diving by a veteran ama as she hunts for seafood – including scallops, abalone and sazae horned turban. Back on dry land, she will prepare a fantastic seafood barbeque in a traditional amagoya hut.
Ise Jingu and the food of the gods
Ise Jingu is the spiritual home of the Japanese people – a 2,000-year-old Shinto shrine with a divinity that must be experienced to comprehend. Among its most important rituals are the morning and evening meals offered to the deities, 365 days a year for the past 1,500 years. This Journey takes guests on a tour of the region to sample the foods included in those offerings. This is a unique culinary adventure to some of the finest producers in a place long known as Japan's Imperial breadbasket.