If you’re crazy about cats then Aoshima Island in southern Japan should be the purrfect (sorry) holiday destination. The remote island has been dubbed ‘Cat Island’ by the locals due to the vast amount of felines that inhabit the area. Cats actually outnumber the human inhabitants of Aoshima by an incredible 6 to 1 and can often be seen in large groups by the harbour, hoping to snag a loose fish as the trawlers return home from sea. It is believed there are over 120 feral cats on the island in total, compared to only a handful of human inhabitants. The cats were first introduced in order to kill mice that were living on the fishermen’s boats but over the years their numbers have risen dramatically. While a large number of the human inhabitants have emigrated to the mainland in search of work, it seems the cats are more than happy to continue calling Aoshima Island their home.
