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Aoshima, Ehime

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 people. 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] Cats were introduced to combat rodents on fishing boats but remained on the island and reproduced in large numbers.[6][7][2]

Aoshima
Native name:
青島 (Aoshima)
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
RegionShikoku
PrefectureEhime Prefecture
CityŌzu, Ehime
Demographics
Population4[1] (2024)
Ethnic groupsJapanese

The human population on the island has decreased since sardine fisheries became depleted and jobs moved to cities. As of December 2024, only four people are still living on Aoshima, while the number of cats has dropped to 80.[1]

Geography

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The island is roughly 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) long.[8] It was formerly part of Nagahama in Kita District, but as of 2005, it is part of Ōzu city.

History

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Originally, Aoshima was an uninhabited island. The village was formed in 1639 by the collective relocation of 16 families and their descendants from Sakoshi Village in Banshu (now Sakoshi [ja], Akō city), and developed as a sardine fishing village with a secondary farming industry.[9]

However, over the years, the sardine trade has dwindled, and the majority of people have abandoned the island to seek a better life on the mainland.

Aoshima Elementary School was closed in March 1979 and converted into a community center. It is currently used as a temporary accommodation facility for visitors to the island.[10]

Since 2024, the number of restricted areas on Aoshima has been increasing. The road leading to the breakwater has been closed off. Entry to areas inhabited by residents is also prohibited. Due to weather conditions – typhoons, heavy rains, and strong winds – abandoned houses have collapsed and blocked some roads. There is a possibility that the island will become uninhabited within the next five years.[11]

Population

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In 1945, the island was a fishing village with a population of approximately 900.[6][2] The number of households peaked at 165 in 1960.[9]

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.[4]

The New York Times reported on 10 May 2023 that the island's human population had dropped to five.[12]

Cats

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Aoshima was formerly the home of a fishing village supported by the sardine trade;[9][13] fishermen would bring cats with them to control the rodent problem, and would often leave cats on the island as they departed. As cats bred, the population grew.

The feline inhabitants of Aoshima are fed by food donations from all over Japan.[14] They also eat small animals on the island and food from visitors.

The feline population of the island has been reported as between 120 and 130 between 2015 and 2018.[3][6] In February 2018, it was reported by Ehime Shimbun that all cats on the island would be spayed or neutered 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.[5]

In December 2024, the inhabitants of Aoshima comprise only 4 elderly residents and approximately 80 cats. All known cats are over the age of seven, and an estimated third of them are battling illnesses, including blindness and respiratory diseases, caused by decades of inbreeding.[1]

Tourism

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The island attracts tourists who come to see the cats and give them food.[2]

Ecology

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Aoshima is accessible via ferry. Two return trips run daily from Nagahama Port in Ōzu, accessible from Iyo-Nagahama Station. The ferry takes 35 minutes each way.[15]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ As of 2019, Asahi Shimbun Globe reports the human population at 6,[4] and AERA dot reports that there were at least 220 cats on the island in October 2018.[5]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 McCurry, Justin (27 December 2024). "Japan's 'cat island' falls victim to demographic crisis". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Meyers, Chris (2 March 2015). "It's raining cats and tourists on a Japanese island". Reuters. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Nakai, Yuuto (21 February 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 21 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 Shiho (23 June 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 12 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 Setouchi, Minami (22 February 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 12 October 2019. 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.
  6. 1 2 3 Kirkpatrick, Nick (3 March 2015). "Cats outnumber people on this mysterious 'Cat Island'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  7. ↑ Taylor, Alan (3 March 2015). "A Visit to Aoshima, a Japanese 'Cat Island'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  8. ↑ Vlisides, Victoria (22 June 2018). "Aoshima (Cat island)". GaijinPot Travel. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "瀬戸内の島々の生活文化(平成3年度)" [Life and Culture of the Seto Inland Sea Islands (1991)] (in Japanese). Ehime Prefectual Lifelong Learning Center. 1991.
  10. ↑ "愛媛県史 地誌Ⅱ(南予)(昭和60年3月31日発行)" [History of Ehime Prefecture Geography II (Nanyo) (Published 31 March 1985)] (in Japanese). Ehime Prefectual Lifelong Learning Center. 31 March 1985.
  11. ↑ "立ち入り禁止の場所が増えています" [Places that are off-limits are increasing] (in Japanese). @aoshima_cat. 25 August 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  12. ↑ Yanagihara, Hanya; Hamada, Kyoko (10 May 2023). "Why Do Cats Hold Such Mythic Power in Japan?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  13. ↑ "Ultimate Guide to Aoshima AKA Cat Island". Japan Switch Team. 20 May 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  14. ↑ "The Cats of Japan's Cat Island Eat Well Thanks to Food Donations". Life With Cats. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 5 May 2021.
  15. ↑ "定期旅客船「あおしま」時刻表およびアクセス - 大洲市ホームページ". www.city.ozu.ehime.jp. Retrieved 3 May 2026.

Further reading

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