Aoshima, a Japanese Cat Island

Aoshima Island is a small island located in Japan where there are significantly more feline residents than people! The outnumber humans 6 to 1.

More than 120 cats prowl the island, curling up in abandoned houses or just walking happy in the quiet fishing village. As they don’t have predators, they roam the island without fear.

Aoshima had been home to 900 people in 1945! The only sign of human activity now is the boatload of day-trippers from the mainland that are visiting the Cat Island or the tourists who go there to visit the cats. On the island there are no restaurants, cars, shops or kiosks selling snacks but the tourists who are cat lovers don’t care about this.

A good thing is that the locals are trying to keep the feline population under control – at least 10 cats have been neutered.