Aoshima (Cat Island), Ehime Prefecture, Japan

Aoshima, also known as Cat Island (猫の島, Neko no shima), is an island in Ehime Prefecture, 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. Although once a bustling fishing island, there are now only a handful of human residents left on Aoshima. The cat population is thriving, however. Originally introduced to help the fishermen by keeping the mouse population 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 1 mile (1.6 km) long. It was formerly part of Nagahama in Kita District, but as of 2005, is part of Ōzu.

The human population has decreased since sardine fisheries  depleted and jobs moved to cities, causing human residence on the island to drop.

In 1945, the island was a fishing village 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, Asahi Shimbun Globe reported that only 6 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.

Aoshima is accessible via a ferry departing from in front of JR Iyo-Nagahama Station in Port Nagahama, which takes around 30 min. Although semi-feral, the cats on Aoshima are used to human visitors. Thanks to the recent boom in publicity, it’s not unusual to find a crowd of tourists attempting to befriend the kitties. Luckily, with over 100 felines living on the island, you won’t have to compete too hard for their affection.