Ehime, Japan Apr. 29 Mon 2:27PM
For Serious Cat People
Japan is well known for being a nation of animal attractions with such icons as the very tame deer in Nara or the monkeys that love the hot springs in Nagano, not to mention numerous animal cafes in large cities. For the cat lover, though, it's hard to think of a better experience than a visit to Aoshima Cat Island.
It should be noted that Japan has more than one cat island, but this is the most iconic of them all. There are more than 100 cats on this island which only holds a population of about 15 people, mostly retirees.
There are no restaurants, no hotels, no AirBnB, or even vending machines on the island, and the only way to access it is by ferry from Nagahama port (about 30 minutes) in Ehime Prefecture. If you would like to bring something to feed the cats you should purchase it before getting on the ferry.
Once you arrive on the island, you can expect to be greeted by a stampede of small furry friends eager for snacks, attention, and more snacks. As the popularity of Aoshima has increased with tourists the cats have gained more and more social exposure making them familiar with people.
The island is only about a mile wide (1.4 km) so there isn't a lot to see aside from forestry and the cats.
It should be noted that ferry tickets are not sold in advance and the ferry only carries a limited number of people so you should be there as early as possible to buy your tickets the same day.
So why are there so many cats on the island? The story has it that when the island was at its peak it was a busy fishing island. The fishermen apparently had mice problems on their boats so they adopted cats as a solution. Now, even though the fishermen are no more, the cats remain. If you wanted to help out and contribute to the caretaking of the cats on the island a portion of the sales from Amazon will go toward taking care of the cats.
Can't get enough cats? Check out this other post we did on cat islands in Japan!