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Amagoya: a kitchen on
the ocean’s edge
Along the coasts of Japan, a millen-
nia-old tradition endures: the ama,
divers who plunge into the sea wi-
thout the aid of tanks to gather she-
llfish. Their way of life, passed from
mothers to daughters, persists in the
corners of Toba and Shima, in Mie
prefecture. There, one finds the ama-
goya, wooden huts where the divers
gather to warm themselves by the fire
and where today, in a controlled man-
ner, they receive travellers.
Those who enter an amagoya can
sample oysters, abalone, or scallops
grilled over embers while the ama tell
stories of storms, times of plenty, and
the changes they have witnessed in
the sea. Their tales speak of discipli-
ne, of sunrises that mark the working
day, and of a trade that demands un-
derstanding the ocean as both com-
panion and frontier.
The experience transcends the gas-
tronomic: it is an encounter with a
vulnerable human heritage, where
the sea ceases to be a landscape
and becomes memory. In that at-
mosphere of embers, wood, and sea
salt, the visitor discovers an intima-
te Japan, protective of its ancient
trades. And they understand that
Woman preparing shellfish in the amagoya GASTRONOMICS DESTINATION
these women do not dive merely to
live, but to preserve a bond with the
ocean that, despite the passage of
time, remains profoundly authentic.
Shellfish Gatherer, the Japanese Sirens
The country discovered
dish by dish
Exploring Japanese gastronomy
is a form of travel that requires no
grand gestures. From the markets
stirring at dawn to the ama huts by
the sea, each setting speaks of the
profound bond between nature, tra-
dition, and community. Japan tea-
ches that eating is also a way to un-
derstand a country. For the traveller,
this discovery is etched into every
autumn dish, every bite of fresh pro-
duce, and every conversation sha-
red around a fire or a counter.
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