Aoshima Island - A Small Japanese Island Filled With Cats

You might have a fond love for feline creatures and living with them would be a dream come true. Well, that is definitely possible for the Japanese especially when the population of cats far exceeds the human population in that region.

That is what is currently being experienced by the citizens of Ao island which is a unique island located in the district of Ehime, Japan. Ao island or well-known as 'Aoshima' (Shima means island) has a ratio of a unique population of cats exceeding humans 36:1.

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Why is The Island Being Swarmed With Cats?

In Japan, there are several islands where people lived in the same situation due to their past history. The benefit of cats acting as hunters has been used by their ancestors to solve the problems they face especially if it involves rodents that destroyed their crops and source of income.

Aside from Aoshima, islands like Sanagi in Kagawa, Tashiro in Miyagi as well as Eno in Kanagawa have become popular spots for these felines to live in. Most of the islands had an increase in the population of cats ever since they were highly needed to combat the problems with rats that scavenge across the island. The cats also protect the fishermen's boats from the attack of the rats.

Slightly different from other islands in Japan which has a similar situation, Aoshima has its own uniqueness since the number of cats presents far exceeds those of human.

The Unique Relationship of Cats With The Japanese

The presence of these huge amounts of cats in Aoshima has kept the tradition going and strengthened the human relationship with cats. It is also known as 'Neko' in Japanese and cats have become an iconic symbol that is believed to bring luck to society.

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Due to that, there have been many popular works revolving around cats such as Hello Kitty and Doraemon which puts the cat as the main character. For decades-long cats are considered as protectors to the Shinto shrines and Buddhists in Japan following the attacks of rats.

Following the influence of the previous preachers back then, the Japanese nobleman now starts having cats as their means of luck in life. Around the 17th century, cats have become an asset for trading and being sold to shops as a way to solve rodent issues. 

People in the past believed that having cats in restaurants means that the food is also of top quality and sanitary. The cat doll 'Maneki-Neko' is well known not only in the original country but also across the world as it is believed to bring luck to those that put it on display.

Because of this, we can see the existence of many islands in Japan such as Aoshima where the people decided to carry on with these traditions. But with all being said, not everyone can accept this.

The Human Population The Keeps On Decreasing

Living on an island has proven to be quite challenging from the aspects of carrier prospects as well as the logistics problem and when it comes to these felines that swarm the island, then it can get pretty annoying.

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These have resulted in the human population in Aoshima decreasing from time to time from 900 people during the Second World War to merely 6 people left. The majority of those that still live here are among the elderly.

This limit has made Aoshima not worthy to be considered a recognized tourist destination even though it has its own attraction. There is not a single thing that can be worked on as there are no hotels available or even restaurants to be visited.

If you wish to visit the island then the food and water need to be prepared beforehand. It was estimated that around 120 to 210 cats lived there and the population managed to be controlled after some male cats managed to be euthanized despite receiving backlash from the locals.

But the worrisome still exists if the population of cats was to increase beyond control causing the natural resources of the island to be depleted and not to mention the absence of people who wishes to stay there.

If you were to be given a chance to live on this island filled with these cute cats as your companion, would you do it? The question remains of how long the people in Aoshima will sustain following the absence of human presence on the island.

Source:

• Libur

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