Tashirojima, the Japanese island of cats

Tashirojima is a small island located north of Japan, more specifically in the city of Ishinomaki, in Miyagi Prefecture.

It is known as “ The Island of Cats ” (猫島o猫の島) since these are its main inhabitants. With a population that does not total more than 100 inhabitants, 83% being over 65 years old , it is an aging population.

But how is it possible that on an island an average of 6 cats coexist for each inhabitant , with this number increasing? The answer is found in historical-economic and cultural reasons.

Historically, Tashirojima's main economic activity was fishing . At the end of the Edo period (beginning of the 17th century to the middle of the 19th century), sericulture (the art of raising silkworms to produce this textile) was introduced. This produced a plague of mice , predators of this type of insects, which endangered fishing boats. To alleviate this problem, fishermen introduced cats to the town and began to grow fond of them. They considered that cats had the ability to predict storms, which put fishing activity at risk.

The migration of the population to urban areas and the fact that cats came from an ancient domestic lineage facilitated their settlement on the island, having a friendly coexistence with humans, their caretakers.

Additionally, Japanese culture considers cats to be good luck charms . An example of this is the traditional Maneki Neko (招き猫), "lucky cat", a Japanese sculpture that simulates the caricature of a feline and would bring fortune to its owner.

In short, Tashirojima has become a must -visit place for cat lovers who choose Japan as a vacation destination.