Photo courtesy: Canva
Japan took the word ‘unique’ and made it its own by adding some cats (read hundreds) to the mix. What we have here is Tashirojima Island, the best place in the world for a cat lover. It is an island where you will share space with hundreds of cats and around 80 human beings. Sounds great already!
Tashirojima is famously known as Cat Island. This enchanting island in Miyagi Prefecture is a feline paradise, where cats vastly outnumber humans. If you are a cat person, this place will most certainly leave several cat-shaped memories. Some may even call this place magical.
Tashirojima is not the only cat island in the country. In fact, there are several, but this one is the most popular one, maybe because of the island’s distinctive cat-centric culture. The island is small and the human population even smaller, but it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country.
Photo courtesy: CanvaLife of a cat in Tashirojima
As per records, the cats of Tashirojima lead a unique and well-cared-for life. The island’s residents have a deep affection for these feline inhabitants, and they consider them auspicious. You see, back in the Edo Period (1600 – 1868), this island was busy producing silk. Where there is silk, there will be silkworms. And the island’s mice population were the natural predators of these silkworms. This led to the introduction of cats, the natural predator of mice.
Photo courtesy: Canva
Years later, fishing became the primary occupation of the islanders and the cats clearly benefited from this. Needless to say, the island’s cats are well-fed. Speaking of being well-fed, as a tourist, one is expected to admire and spend time with the cats, but refrain from feeding the cats snacks. The locals take care of the feeding and there are dedicated feeding stations scattered across the island. Over-feeding may not be the best thing for these cats.
There is a shrine on the island called Miyori Shrine. It was built in honour of a cat who was accidentally killed by falling rocks. Here you will find some more cats! You can even grab a picnic basket of your own and enjoy the place and the feline audience.
Photo courtesy: Canva
The island is not flashy and does not have fancy hotels and cafes. Visitors will have to do with basic yet good accommodation and cafe options.
While tourism is important for the local economy, it also presents challenges in maintaining the delicate balance between preserving the cats’ well-being and meeting the demands of visitors. Hence, no feeding the cats and do take your trash back with you.