Wikipedia

Aoshima, Ehime

This article is about the island in Ehime Prefecture, also known as "Cat Island". For the island named Aoshima in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan, see Aoshima, Miyazaki. For the "Cat Island" in Ishinomaki, see Tashirojima.

Aoshima (Japanese: 青島, Hepburn: Aoshima), also known as Cat Island (Japanese: 猫の島, Hepburn: Neko no shima), is an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents and small number of human residents. Felines have been reported by news outlets to outnumber humans by ratios between 6:1[2] and 10:1,[3] but as elderly inhabitants of the island have died, the ratio has greatly increased to almost 36:1.[note 1] Felines were introduced to combat rodents on fishing boats, but remained on the island and reproduced in large numbers.[5][6][2]

Aoshima
Native name:
青島
Aerial view of Aoshima in 1981
Aoshima is located in Japan
Aoshima
Aoshima
Location in Japan
Geography
LocationSeto Inland Sea
Coordinates33°44′10″N 132°28′55″E / 33.736°N 132.482°E / 33.736; 132.482
Area0.49 km2 (0.19 sq mi)
Coastline4.2 km (2.61 mi)
Highest elevation90.8 m (297.9 ft)
Administration
Japan
RegionShikoku
PrefectureEhime Prefecture
CityŌzu, Ehime
Demographics
Population6[1] (2019)
Ethnic groupsJapanese

The feline inhabitants of Aoshima are fed by food donations from all over Japan.[7] The cats also eat the small creatures of the island and some food from visitors.

The island is roughly 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) long.[citation needed] It was formerly part of Nagahama in Kita District, but as of 2005, is part of Ōzu city.

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.[4]

Population

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In 1945, the island was a fishing village with a population of approximately 900.[5][2] In 2013, the island was estimated to be home to 50 residents.[citation needed] In 2018, Ehime Shimbun reported that the population had decreased to 13 with an average age of "over 75".[3] In 2019, The Asahi Shimbun Globe reported that only six residents remained on the island.[1] The island attracts tourists who visit the cats and give them food.[2]

The feline population of the island has been reported as between 120 and 130 between 2015 and 2018.[3][5]

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.[3] 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.[4]

The New York Times reported on May 10, 2023, that the island's human population has dropped to five.[8]

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Aoshima is accessible via a ferry departing from in front of JR Iyo-Nagahama Station in Port Nagahama, which takes around 30 minutes.[9]

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    Cats scooping food from the islanders at the port.
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    Designated cat feeding area a few minutes from the port. The back is Aoshima Shrine.
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    Cats eating food given at the designated cat feeding area.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ As of 2019, Asahi Shimbun Globe reports the human population at 6,[1] and AERA dot reports that there were at least 220 cats on the island in October 2018.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Shiho (June 23, 2019). "世界中から人が集まる瀬戸内海のネコ天国「青島」で過ごす濃密な８時間" [Spending a dense 8 hours on cat heaven "Aoshima" in the Seto Inland Sea that people from all over the world come to visit] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun Globe. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
  2. ^ a b c d Meyers, Chris (March 2, 2015). "It's raining cats and tourists on a Japanese island". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
  3. ^ a b c d Nakai, Yuuto (February 21, 2018). "ネコが多い「青島」全匹に不妊・去勢手術" [Cat Island Aoshima to Spay and Neuter All Cats] (in Japanese). Ehime Shimbun. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  4. ^ a b c Setouchi, Minami (February 22, 2019). "愛媛県・青島「猫の楽園」の未来 昨年の不妊・去勢手術後もトラブルがたえず…" [The future of "Cat Paradise" Aoshima, Ehime: Neverending problems after last year's spaying and neutering surgeries] (in Japanese). AERA dot. Retrieved 2019-10-12. 昨年10月には210頭の猫が不妊・去勢手術済みであることが確認されたわけだが、実はそのほかに、未手術の猫が10数頭ほどいたことが後になってわかった。不満を持つ島民がこっそり隠していたのだ。
  5. ^ a b c Kirkpatrick, Nick (March 3, 2015). "Cats outnumber people on this mysterious 'Cat Island'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  6. ^ Taylor, Alan (March 3, 2015). "A Visit to Aoshima, a Japanese 'Cat Island'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
  7. ^ "The Cats of Japan's Cat Island Eat Well Thanks to Food Donations". Life With Cats. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  8. ^ Yanagihara, Hanya; Hamada, Kyoko (2023-05-10). "Why Do Cats Hold Such Mythic Power in Japan?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  9. ^ "Aoshima (Cat Island) – Ehime Travel Guide". Planetyze. Retrieved 2017-08-08.
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