Islands for Cat Lovers
Today, we’re introducing five islands recommended for cat lovers. These islands are famous for having more cats than population.
Tashirojima, the original cat island with a shrine to a cat god
Tashirojima (Tashiro Island) is one of the islands known as Japan's "original cat islands" where people built a shrine for the cat god. Tashirojima is a remote island in the Miyagi Prefecture and has become a tourist attraction as a "cat island" because of the large number of cats that live there. They also say Tashirojima is the model for "Hyokkori Hyotanjima.
Enoshima, a cat island near Tokyo
Enoshima is a Japanese tourist destination located relatively close to Tokyo, also known as one of Japan's cat islands. Enoshima is in Fujisawa City in the Kanagawa Prefecture. So, it’s easily accessible from central Tokyo by train or car, making it a popular destination for many tourists and residents.
Enoshima is a small island characterized by natural scenery, a historical heritage, delicious food, and cats. Cats can be seen in various parts of the island, providing a healing moment for tourists.
Okishima, a cat island in a freshwater lake
Okishima is the largest island in Lake Biwa, the largest lake in Japan. Okishima is the only inhabited island in Lake Biwa, and there aren’t any cars on the island. There are about ten ferry services to the island, and it takes about 10 minutes to cross over. The island has long been famous for its large number of cats.
Aoshima, an island with more cats than people.
Aoshima, an island in the Seto Inland Sea in the city of Ozu, Aichi Prefecture, is now a popular destination for cat-loving tourists. Especially since the number of cats now outnumbers the human population since 2010, when the population dropped below 50.
Aoshima is 1.6 kilometers long and is located in the Ehime Prefecture in southern Japan. Originally, fishermen brought cats to the island to deal with the rats, but the cats remain and continue to breed on the island today. And the cat population numbers have increased almost exponentially.
Manabe Island, the movie location
Many people know Manabe Island best as the filming location for the movie Setouchi Shonen Yakyu-dan (Setouchi Boys' Baseball Team, in English), that came out in 1984. The island is located in the Seto Inland Sea in the Okayama Prefecture, where you can see the townscape that evokes postwar Japan and the Showa period. Recently, Manabe Island has been known as "Cat Island," but here you won’t only encounter wild cats, but also find undiscovered attractions like rich nature and nostalgic scenery.
We hope all of our cat lovers enjoy some of the most famous cat spots in Japan.
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