, also known as , is an island in
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,342,011 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Tokushi ...
, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents. Felines have been reported by news outlets to outnumber humans by ratios between 6:1
and 10:1,
but as elderly inhabitants of the island have died, the ratio has greatly increased to almost 36:1. Felines were introduced to combat rodents on fishing boats, but remained on the island and reproduced in large numbers.
The feline inhabitants of Aoshima are fed by food donations from all over Japan. The cats also eat the small creatures of the island and some food from visitors.
The island is roughly long. It was formerly part of
Nagahama in
Kita District, but , is part of
Ōzu.
The human population has decreased since sardine fisheries depleted and jobs moved to cities. As of February 2019, only six human residents live on Aoshima.
Population
In 1945, the island was a
fishing village
A fishing village is a village, usually located near a fishing ground, with an economy based on catching fish and harvesting seafood. The continents and islands around the world have coastlines totalling around 356,000 kilometres (221,000 m ...
with a population of approximately 900.
In 2013, the island was estimated to be home to 50 residents. In 2018, ''Ehime Shimbun'' reported that the population had decreased to 13 with an average age of "over 75".
In 2019, ''Globe'' reported that only six residents remained on the island.
The island attracts tourists who visit the cats and give them food.
The feline population of the island has been reported as between 120 and 130 between 2015 and 2018.
In February 2018, it was reported by ''Ehime Shimbun'' that all cats on the island would be
spayed or neutered in order to lower the feline population as a response to the declining human population.
By October, 210 cats had been spayed and neutered, with another estimated 10 cats uncaptured that had been hidden by an old resident who opposed the program.
Transport links
Aoshima is accessible via a
ferry
A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water ta ...
departing from in front of JR
Iyo-Nagahama Station in Port Nagahama, which takes around 30 minutes.
Gallery of cats
File:Cats_in_aoshima_island_1.JPG, Cats scooping food from the islanders at the port.
File:Aoshima_island_(the_place_that_feeds_cats).jpg, Cat feeding area for foreigners. A few minutes from the port. The back is Aoshima Shrine.
File:Cats_in_aoshima_island_2.JPG, Cats that eat food given at cat feeding places.
See also
*
Ainoshima (Shingū), also known as "Cat Heaven Island"
*
Tashirojima
is a small island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It lies in the Pacific Ocean off the Oshika Peninsula, to the north of Aji Island. It is an inhabited island, although the population is quite small (around 80 people , compared to aro ...
, also known as "cat island"
*
Ōkunoshima, rabbit island
Notes
References
Islands of Ehime Prefecture
Cats in Japan
Ghost towns in Japan
{{Ehime-geo-stub