Ever thought about a place full of cats only? You need to visit Aoshima Island to experience it.
There are many places in Japan with a high number of cats.
Aoshima Island is one such place. This 121-acre small island is full of cats. Cats literally rule this island. The Japanese are very fond of pets.
Considering the high cat population, Aoshima Island is known as the cat island. This island is located in Ehime Prefecture. Although there are many more places (islands) with a large number of cats, Aoshima Island is the most famous one. Go through this article to learn interesting facts about Cat Island in Japan.
The ratio of cats to humans is 6:1.
Cats are the kings in Aoshima. They literally outnumber humans there. There are only 20-25 human residents in Aoshima. You can imagine how many cats live there. In earlier times, people used to live there largely. The problem happened during WWII. Out of fear, people left this island, and cats stayed on this island. As a result, the population of cats increased dramatically.
There are not many mice left on the island:
As the cat population increased, the mouse population decreased rapidly. Mice caused many problems in silkworm cultivation in earlier times. But the problem of the mouse is solved completely with the help of cats.
You can visit Cat Island for a one-day trip:
If you are an ailurophile, you can definitely pay a visit to the cat island. Unfortunately, you cannot stay there overnight. There are no hotels for tourists on Cat Island. First, you need to reach Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, then take a train on the Yosan Line to JR Iyonagahama Station.
Then, you need to walk to Nagahama Port. There, you will get a boat service up to Aoshima. There is a maximum limit of 34 visitors per day on Aoshima Island. The residents there don't want to ruin the peaceful lifestyle, so they don't prefer many visitors. So, you should be lucky enough to be among that daily quota.
Cats enjoy foods from humans:
Cats are considered moody, unlike dogs. But, in Cat Island, cats happily accept food from humans. Cats are not dependent on mice only. The cats eat snacks, rice balls, energy bars, and so on. So, you should get some food while visiting Aoshima Island.
Residents control the cat population:
With the abundance of food, the cat population can rise enormously. So, the residents apply the scientific method to control the cat population. Annually, they neutralize at least ten cats. By doing this, the spread of disease is also controlled in the cat island.
If you want to experience an adorable storm of meowing, you should visit Cat Island once in your lifetime.
