male diver; male shell diver
Specifically a male diver who collects shellfish, seaweed, etc. Often contrasted with 海女 (あま, female diver). The kanji 海人 and 海士 are especially used for this sense.
See also: 海女
In this village, male divers dive into the sea to collect shellfish.
General term for a fisherman. The kanji 海人 and the rare 蜑 are used for this sense. In modern Japanese, 漁師 (りょうし) is more common.
In old tales, there are stories of fishermen catching huge fish.
漁師 is the ordinary modern word for a fisherman, while 海人 is an older, more literary term for the same role.
海人 typically refers to a male diver or fisherman, while 海女 specifically means a female diver, and the two are easily mixed up since both are read あま.
Written identically as 海人, but read あま it means a shell/seaweed diver, whereas read かいじん it is an archaic word for a seashore dweller or fisherman.
counter for people
Most common kanji form for both senses; used for male divers and fishermen.
Alternate kanji for male diver; 士 suggests a person of a certain occupation.
Rare kanji for fisherman; not commonly used in modern Japanese.
The reading あま is of uncertain origin, possibly related to 海 (うみ) or an ancient word for sea people. The kanji 海人 literally means 'sea person', 海士 'sea warrior/gentleman', and 蜑 is a specific character for 'fisherman'.