Cat islands: More cats than people live here 🐱🇯🇵

If spotting a cat on holiday instantly makes your day, then you’ll be in your element on the Japanese islands of Tashirojima and Aoshima, where felines outnumber humans!

Tashirojima wasn’t always a cat paradise. Back in the day, it was all about silk production. But with silkworms came mice, and with mice came trouble. The solution? A battalion of fluffy pest control experts—aka, cats. Safe to say, they made themselves right at home!

The cats may have done their job, but as industrialisation took over, the island’s human population thinned out—while the feline population happily stayed put.

Today, only about 80 people live on Tashirojima, but they’re outnumbered by roughly 150 pampered kitties. And life for these lucky furballs? Pretty sweet! In Japan, cats are considered good luck, so they’re well-fed, fussed over, and treated like VIPs (Very Important Paws). To keep their stress levels low, dogs aren’t even allowed on the island—because, let’s be honest, this is a cat’s world now.

These days, thanks to Instagram & Co., Tashirojima has become a bit of a tourist hotspot—because who wouldn’t want to visit an island run by cats? There’s even a cat-themed house!

If you're after an even more dramatic cat-to-human ratio, Aoshima is the place to be. Here, just six people share their home with around 120 cats, talk about being outnumbered! With no hotels, restaurants, or cars, the island is essentially one big feline playground. The humans? They’re just the staff.

Fancy a visit to these feline utopias? You’re in luck! Ferries run several times a day from Ishinomaki Harbour to Tashirojima, while Aoshima is just a boat ride away from Nagahama Harbour, twice a day, if the cats allow it.