The Cat Island of Japan (Aoshima Island)

Aoshima is a small island near Miyazaki City in Japan, and a host of resort filled beached. Connected to the mainland by a walking bridge, the island boasts a subtropical jungle that is surrounded by the white sands of the beaches. In the center is a large and small shrine. The island is peace; it is calm.

It is also a different Aoshima Island.

Located off the coast of the Ehime prefecture is another Aoshima Island. This island is only inhabited by a few older residents, the majority of the population having migrated after WWII to find work. However, while humans may have moved out, something else moved in.

With no natural predators on the island, over a hundred feral cats have taken up residence on the island. They now outnumber their human counterparts six-to-one. A maniacal plan to conquer and subjugate these humans? Perhaps in the long run, but for now, they are more than content with the sanctuary it provides.

Unsurprisingly in a country that gave us Hello Kitty and puts cat ears on half their female anime characters, tourists have taken notice and now enjoy the ferry out to Cat Island, where they can roll around with cats, who are pleased by their offerings of sushi, rice balls, and whatever else their patrons are offering.

Now why don't we have an island we can roll around with cats on here in the States?

Bonus: Behind The Scenes
So, I have been so busy with work lately, it's taken me days to write this short article. I slowly just researched it a little before work each morning leaving the tabs open in my browser until I had enough to work with. Since I've been so rushed, I wasn't reading everything right away, just leaving it up for future reference.

It wasn't until I sat down now to type it all out that I realized there was a second Aoshima Island. How confusing! It seemed like a pretty cool place so I had to find a way to incorporate it into the story. Hope you enjoyed! I also hope it doesn't take days for the next article :-/

If you liked my post, or you like cats and dream about being buried in furry kittens (and you know you do), then....

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