Photo/Illutration A social media influencer from the UAE puts on a diving mask worn by “ama” female divers in Toba, Mie Prefecture, on Oct. 31. (Norio Kawasaki)

TOBA, Mie Prefecture—Rare guests from the United Arab Emirates visited the Hachiman Kamado hut here to experience the culture of “ama” female divers and to increase the number of inbound wealthy tourists from the Middle East.

The four social media influencers were invited to Japan on the first tour organized by the Japan National Tourism Organization’s Dubai office. It was aimed at attracting Middle East travelers who would spend at least 1 million yen ($6,700) during a single visit to Japan.

The four landed in Japan for the first time on Oct. 29 and spent six days visiting Tokyo, Nara Prefecture, Kyoto Prefecture and other places.

They reached Mie Prefecture on Oct. 30, made a pilgrimage to Ise Jingu shrine, and enjoyed a sunset cruise in Ago Bay.

On Oct. 31, at the ama hut, they were treated to “ise ebi” (Japanese spiny lobsters), abalone and other seafood collected the previous day and broiled on the spot.

The influencers also put on diving masks used by ama and learned about their history.

Each influencer has around 100,000 followers on Instagram. Their posts are generally directed at well-heeled travelers.

Shurouq Lashkri said, “The rich natural environment and food culture of the Ise-Shima area, as well as the long-running history of ama, were wonderful heritages that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.”

“Mie Prefecture is well-prepared to receive foreign travelers, and one of our aims for this tour was making them learn about it,” said Daisuke Kobayashi, head of the JNTO Dubai office. “We want to make full use of the participants’ promotional capabilities to further get the word out about the charms of this area.”

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