Tashirojima Island, also known as Cat Island, is a small island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi, Japan. Accessible by ferry, people from all over Japan come to visit the small island, located in the Pacific Ocean. The large stray cat population thrive on the island, due to the local belief that feeding cats brings good wealth and fortune.
The cat population is now larger than the human population, which is under 100 people. Most of the island residents are over 70 years of age, a factor which is also said to threaten the survival of the village. The cats were originally brought in to deal with the mice that were plaguing fishing boats. Now the cats eat scraps, crops and food given to them by tourists and islanders.
References
1. theguardian 2. techeblog 3. YouTube
