Imagine the ride: you get off a short-haul boat in a small port and suddenly dozens of cats surround you! It looks like a dream? For know that this dream is real!

Would you imagine that Japan, one of the countries with the highest population density in the world, is the country with two city-islands with the highest feline density in the world?

Two islands in Japan have more cats than people among their residents (and there are at least plus 11, where there are as many cats as people) !

These are the islands of Aoshima and Tashirojima. They are small islands, but with a cat population in the hundreds. And the best part is: they are open to the public!

And do you know the reasons that made these islands so full of cats? What's their story? Let's see.

Aoshima's case is perhaps best known.

That's because the island has, according to the Japanese newspaper Asashi Shimbum, only 6 residents, for a little over 200 cats, in a space of less than 1 kilometer.

And the tendency would be for the population to continue to grow, but in 2018 the government started a program to castrate the animals on the island, due to the absence of (human) residents, to take care of the cats.

How did this catgirl start, you must be wondering.

Well, the oldest records of people on Aoshima point out that the island was a fishing village. The population began to increase during World War II, when families sought the island to escape the battles. It is believed that the island once had 900 residents.

With the people came they, the cats. Not just as companion animals, but because of their function as rat hunters, which they docked from fishing boats.

Without natural predators, the cats reproduced. On the other hand, with the rise of industrial fishing, Aoshima's economy declined, and many inhabitants left.

Thus, today, those who go to Aoshima will find flocks and flocks of cats. News about the island, claim that cats are docile, especially if you bring them snacks.

But, as we mentioned above, the government started a campaign in 2018 to sterilize the animals, given that only 6 people live on the island. Thus, there will be no one to take care of the cats in the future (even with tourists visiting the island loaded with food).

Apart from the cats, Aoshima is a fantastic island, because its abandoned buildings give the place a ghost town appearance. Couple the empty buildings with the felines and their direct gaze and you have the perfect setting for a scare movie.

A great option for the holidays, huh?

Are you going to travel without pets? And now, leave it at the hotel or with a pet sitter? Learn more, here!

Tashirojima's case is a little older. And the origin of cats has its roots in a belief in Japanese folklore.

This belief states that feeding and caring for cats is good luck (nothing we didn't already know). In addition, the island, just over 3 kilometers long, was already used by silk producers since the mid-nineteenth century.

And that's where the importance of cats comes from. As you may know, silk comes from the cocoon of a caterpillar. The problem caterpillar breeders had been facing was… Rats!

Then you don't have to think much more, do you? Thousands of cats were brought to the island to get rid of the rats.

There, it was the same case in Aoshima: without natural predators, and with humans to take care of them, the cats were increasing in number. In 1950, around 1000 people lived on the island. Today there are only 80.

As for the number of cats, there is no dimension. There, they are so important that the island even has a “Sanctuary of Cats”, a place of prayer dedicated exclusively to felines.

(A curious fact: in the “state” of Miyagi, where the island is located, there are at least 9 more Cat Sanctuaries)

Another thing that helped consolidate the fame of cats, as well as sustaining beliefs in the divinity of cats, is that in 2011, during the Tsunami that devastated part of Japan, Tashirojima was also attacked by the waves. The cats, however, managed to save themselves.

The island can also be visited by tourists. To get there, you need to go by boat, and as soon as you arrive at the port, prepare to be accosted by thousands of kittens.

And one more thing: Unlike Aoshima, Tashirojima is an island with some inns (with the building in the shape of a cat's head) and restaurants. The few current residents seek to rescue the tourist potential of the place.

Another ideal vacation outing, isn't it?

To go to Aoshima, you need to take a boat from Nagahama, a city 400 kilometers away from Tokyo.

In turn, to get to Tashirojima, you need to take a ferry from the city of Ishnomaki (which is also 400 kilometers from Tokyo).

And you, have you been to any of these islands? What did you think of them? Do you have photos? Tell us!

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