In 2022, CueRio was involved in various film shoots. As we were told that we can share the news, we would like to write about the memorable coverage we were involved in this summer. At the end of July, we went to Mie Prefecture for three days for this project. A foreign newspaper was covering ama (Japanese divers famous for collecting seafood including pearls) and they wanted to make a short video clip, so Rio from CueRio took part as a videographer.
On the first day, we filmed at the aquaculture facility of Mikimoto, a major pearl farmer. In the past, divers used to collect pearls as well. The process of inserting pearl seeds into Akoya shells using traditional techniques was very interesting, and it is said that Mikimoto was the first company in Japan to successfully cultivate pearls in the world!
The next day, we accompanied Ama for their diving fishing. They dive for shellfish such as turban shells and abalone, so Rio also went underwater with a GoPro in hand. It was not difficult to film from the surface, but when he tried to dive after the divers, he could not keep up with them at all. He couldn't hold his breath plus the salty water made it very difficult to sink. In the midst of all this, the divers were harvesting shellfish one after the other, and he was impressed by their skills.
That said, the number of shellfish in the fishing grounds, especially the expensive abalone, has been greatly reduced. Due to global warming, the seaweed-eating fish that live in the southern seas are moving northwards, and the seaweed-rich environment that the shellfish need is being lost. Amas are therefore anxious about whether they will be able to make a living from this work in the future.
This location gave us the opportunity to learn about the current state of Japan's traditional industries, as well as gaining a lot of valuable experience, such as filming underwater. We will continue to provide information about Japan and introduce you to the work and filming that CueRio was involved in.
