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Prefer Cats to Peopleāš Check Out These Islands Where Felines Outnumber Humans
Calling all cat enthusiasts: make your way to Japan! š»
Perhaps you are one of those people who are always particularly happy when they meet a cat on holiday. Then you'll love the Japanese islands of Tashirojima and Aoshima because there are more cats than people living here!
The island of Tashirojima was once known for its silk production. However, as mice love silkworms, the business was in danger at some point. So cats were brought to the island as a natural remedy against the mice.
Even though the cats did what they were supposed to do, the inhabitants of the island had to make way for industrialization at some point - the cats stayed.
Today, around 80 people still live in Tashirojima, but there are around 150 cats. How do the cats live on the island? Pretty well! In Japan, people believe that cats bring good luck and that they should therefore be well looked after. So the four-legged friends are not short of tasty food and affection. They also want to keep stress away from the cats, which is why dogs are banned on the island.
Today, thanks to Instagram & co, the island has become a hotspot for travelers. You can even find a cat-style house here!
If you are looking for an even greater cat-to-human ratio, you should also visit the island of Aoshima: just 6 people live here but around 120 cats! As there are no hotels, restaurants, or cars here, the cats have the whole island to themselves.
Want to visit the islands? A ferry departs several times a day from Ishinomaki harbor to Tashirojima. A boat to Aoshima departs twice a day from Nagahama harbor.