Once upon a time, I eagerly embarked on this clam-gathering adventure myself... only to quickly realize, upon entering the water, that it was "cold," "tough," and "unproductive." It dawned on me that this was backbreaking labor, placing a significant burden not only on my back and knees but also on my spirit.
Though we still had time left, we collectively decided, "Instead of struggling to gather them ourselves, let's just buy fresh, high-quality clams harvested by the professionals!" And so, we promptly returned to dry land. What I ended up with was a meager handful of Yamato shijimi clams and a lingering, bittersweet memory of trying to impress my family.