Tashirojima Cat Island

Tashirojima kept cats because of silk: the island raised silkworms, cats kept the mice off them, and fishermen came to read cat behaviour as a guide to weather and catch, so the animals were fed and protected rather than merely tolerated. There is a small cat shrine in the middle of the island, built after a stone accidentally killed a cat and the fishermen buried it. The population balance has since become extreme in the other direction: the human population has fallen to a few dozen, most of them elderly, while the cats number in the low hundreds. Dogs are not permitted on the island. Two settlements, Nitoda and Odomari, sit at either end with a walk between them. Feeding is restricted to designated areas at the request of residents, and picking cats up is discouraged. The island was hit by the 2011 tsunami and rebuilt.

History

In the late Edo period much of the island raised silkworms, and residents kept cats to chase away the mice; a decree of 1602 had freed all pet cats in Japan to fight the rodents that threatened silk, and the released cats gave rise to the island's wild population. Its elementary school closed in 1989 (Wikipedia, Tashirojima).

What to look for

• Cats outnumbering people - a few dozen residents to a few hundred cats.
• A cat shrine - built by fishermen in the middle of the island.
• The silkworm origin - cats kept to protect the silk industry, then read for weather.
• No dogs - prohibited on the island.

When to go

April to November. A day, governed by the ferry timetable.

Before you go

Ferries are few and cancelled in swell - missing one can mean a night on the island with almost no accommodation. There are essentially no shops or restaurants; bring food and water. Feeding cats outside designated areas is not permitted. Residents are elderly and the island is quiet.

Nearby

Ishinomaki is on the mainland; Matsushima Bay is west.

Key facts