Japan's Cat Island (Tashirojima)

Japan has many, many islands. There is one island though called Tashirojima, known as Cat Island, that really stands out; as you can tell from the name, the island is filled with an extraordinary amount of cats! This island is perfect for all the cat lovers out there, because here lives God-knows how many cats. The island is inhabited by humans as well, but the population lies only around 100 people or so (the number has decreased with the years, being at 1000 people in the 1950s).

Tashirojima is a small fishing island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, off the coast of Sendai - only 1.2 square miles in area. It has become known as "Cat Island" due to the large stray cat population that thrives as a result of the local belief that feeding cats will bring wealth and good fortune. The cat population is now larger than the human population on the island. There are no pet dogs on the island due to the large cat population. But, fun fact, this is not the only cat island in Japan. There is another island full of cats called Aoshima, in Ehime Prefecture. Tashirojima, however, is the main cat island. It has got a cat shrine, cat museum, cat toys, cat figures, cat food, cat houses, cat bus, crazy cat people like me... you get the idea.

The island is divided into two villages/ports: Oodomari and Nitoda. Ajishima, a neighboring island, used to belong to the town of Oshika, while Tashirojima was a part of the city of Ishinomaki. On April 1st year 2005, Oshika merged with Ishinomaki, so now both islands are a part of Ishinomaki. Since 83% of the population is classified as elderly, the island's villages have been designated as a "terminal village", which means that with 50% or more of the population being over 65 years of age, the survival of the villages is threatened. The majority of the people who live on the island are involved either in fishing or hospitality.

It is basically a cat person's paradise... in theory. You see, cat island was never meant to be a tourist destination. The cats were originally introduced to keep down mice populations, and both superstition and a fondness for the cats led to an explosion in their population. Now, over 100 stray cats live on the island, with tourists coming and going, giving them food, toys and affection. Lots of love for all the kitties!

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