Aoshima Island may be unheard of by some, but in Japan, it is known to be a small, remote island in the southern part of the county where cats outnumber humans six to one. The cats in Aoshima Island either curl up in abandoned houses or nonchalantly prance about the fishing village in the mile-long island.
Aoshima Island reportedly has no stores, restaurants, cars, shops or kiosks selling snacks. It has one ferry, running twice a day and carries 34 daily visitors, reported Reuters. The ferry which carries visitors to Aoshima Island reportedly runs for 30 minutes, starting off the coast of Ehime prefecture.
Nowadays, the only sign of human activity in Aoshima Island are mainland visitors.
"I seldom carried tourists before," ferry captain Nobuyuki Ninomiya told the Japan Daily Press. "Now I carry tourists every week, even though the only thing we have to offer is cats."
The cats in Aoshima Island were originally introduced to deal with the mice that bother fishermen's boats.
Apparently, the cats remained and started to multiply.
Once home to 900 people in 1945, Aoshima Island is now home to more than 120 cats. "Cat Island" as the locals call it, currently only has a handful of humans who are mostly pensioners who didn't join migrants seeking for work after World War II.
According to the Japan Daily Press, the feline population in Aoshima Island only started increasing about a decade ago when the human population decreased and nobody kept the cats from breeding.
Today, only as few as 10 of the cats are neutered, reported the Washington Post.
The cats of Aoshima Island are said to be not picky when it comes to food. They mostly survive on the rice balls, energy bars or potatoes from the tourists, and since they have no natural predators, they freely roam the island without fear, according to the Daily Mail.
Aoshima Island may be far from a tourist haven. However, cat lovers have no complaints, especially since the tourists come from a country that introduced Hello Kitty, a feline cartoon character which has been considered the epitome of cuteness.
"There is a ton of cats here, then there was this sort of cat witch who came out to feed the cats, which was quite fun," said 27-year-old visitor Makiko Yamasaki. "So I'd want to come again."
Cat cafes have also long been popular in Tokyo. They specially cater to people unable to keep their pets at home due to strict housing regulations, often forbidding pets.
Aoshima Island may seem unusual, but it isn't the only island home to cats in Japan. Here's a list of other cat islands in the feline-loving country.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
