'Ama' divers set out to fish sea urchins in Japan's Mikuni

A freshly caught sea urchin is placed on a hand for the photograph in Fukui, Japan, July 22, 2021.

The expensive salt sea urchin was captured by female ‘Ama’ divers at the remote sea town of Anto, Mikuni district, which is famous for sea creatures and snow-crabs.

The caught raw salt sea urchins are priced at about 50,000 Japanese Yen ($453) per kilogram during the fishing season.

A female "Ama" diver takes a break while catching sea urchins in Fukui, Japan, July 22, 2021.

Sea urchin harvest is allowed for a limited number of days in the summer, running from July to August in Japan's Fukui.

A female "Ama" diver, Ishimori Miwa, 32, shows freshly caught sea urchins, July 22, 2021.

Female "Ama" divers return from sea with freshly caught sea urchins on July 22, 2021.

A female "Ama" diver, Ishimori Miwa, 32, puts freshly caught sea urchins into a wooden vat, July 22, 2021.

Miwa pushes a wheelbarrow with freshly caught sea urchins, July 22, 2021.

Female "Ama" diver Miwa carries the wooden vat with freshly caught sea urchins to her processing facility.

A woman cracks open the shell of the freshly caught sea urchins at female "Ama" diver Miwa's processing facility.

Close-up view of the cracked open shells of the sea urchins.

A woman scoops out the edible portion or uni from the sea urchin shell at the processing facility.

A woman cleans the uni after it has been scooped out from the shell.

Thorough cleaning is key.

The uni of the sea urchin is then sold to be consumed in a variety of ways.