# Aoshima, Ehime

Aoshima (Japanese: 青島, Hepburn: Aoshima), also known as Cat Island (Japanese: 猫の島, Hepburn: Neko no shima), is an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents and small number of people. Felines have been reported by news outlets to outnumber humans by ratios between 6:1 and 10:1, but as elderly inhabitants of the island have died, the ratio has greatly increased, to almost 36:1. Cats were introduced to combat rodents on fishing boats but remained on the island and reproduced in large numbers.
The feline inhabitants of Aoshima are fed by food donations from all over Japan. They also eat small animals on the island and food from visitors.
The island is roughly 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) long. It was formerly part of Nagahama in Kita District, but as of 2005, it is part of Ōzu city.
The human population on the island has decreased since sardine fisheries became depleted and jobs moved to cities. As of February 2019, only six people live on Aoshima.

## Overview

Originally, Aoshima was an uninhabited island. The village was formed in 1639 by the collective relocation of 16 families and their descendants from Sakoshi Village in Banshu (now Sakoshi [ja], Akō city), and developed as a sardine fishing village with a secondary farming industry.
Originally, Aoshima was a fishing village supported by the sardine trade; the fishermen would bring cats with them to control the rodent problem, eventually leaving cats on the island as they departed. That's when the cat population began growing. Eventually the cat population grew thanks to the support of locals. However, with years the sardine trade has dwindled and the majority of people abandoned the island to seek better life on the mainland.
The Aoshima Elementary School was closed in March 1979 and has since been used as a community center, and is currently used as a temporary accommodation facility for visitors to the island.
As of 2024, the number of off-limit areas in Aoshima is increasing. The road leading to the breakwater has been closed off. Entry to areas inhabited by islanders is prohibited. Due to weather conditions (typhoons, heavy rains, strong winds), abandoned houses have collapsed and blocked some roads. There is a possibility that the island will become uninhabited in five years.

## Population

In 1945, the island was a fishing village with a population of approximately 900. The number of households peaked at 165 in 1960.
In 2013, the island was estimated to be home to 50 residents. In 2018, Ehime Shimbun reported that the population had decreased to 13 with an average age of "over 75". In 2019, The Asahi Shimbun Globe reported that only six residents remained on the island. The island attracts tourists who visit the cats and give them food.
The feline population of the island has been reported as between 120 and 130 between 2015 and 2018.
In February 2018, it was reported by Ehime Shimbun that all cats on the island would be spayed or neutered in order to lower the feline population as a response to the declining human population. By October, 210 cats had been spayed and neutered, with another estimated 10 cats uncaptured that had been hidden by an old resident who opposed the program.
The New York Times reported on May 10, 2023, that the island's human population has dropped to five.
December 2024: Four humans, 80 cats.

## Transport links

Aoshima is accessible via a ferry departing from in front of JR Iyo-Nagahama Station in Port Nagahama, which takes around 30 minutes.

## Gallery

* Cats scooping food from the islanders at the port.
* Designated cat feeding area a few minutes from the port. The back is Aoshima Shrine.
* Cats eating food given at the designated cat feeding area.