Tashirojima: Japan’s Cat Island

Cats and their relationship with humans and our cultures are as old as civilization itself. The Japanese culture is no exception.  Cats are revered by Japanese, and different types of good luck charms and temples are devoted to cats. The Maneki Neko “good fortune” cat, depicted as a sitting cat waving one paw, is seen in most Japanese business establishments because it is believed to draw in good business.

Cats in Tashirojima Island

Tashirojima (田代島) is a small island in Japan in Ishinomaki, Miyagi. The island has a small fishing community of about 100 residents.  The amazing thing about Tashirojima is the number of cats that live in it, outnumbering the locals almost four to 1. The stray cats thrive on the island because residents believe that feeding the cats will bring them wealth and good fortune. These cats roam freely in the streets and most can be found hanging around Nitoda Port.

Neko jinja (猫神社) is a cat shrine built in the center of Tashirojima island in Japan. As the story goes, the island used to grow silkworms for silk, and mice were natural predators of silkworms. The cats kept the mouse population down.

During the Edo period, fixed-net fishing became a popular way to catch fish. Fishermen from other surrounding areas would come and stay in Tashirojima for the night. The cats would visit the inns where the fishermen stayed and beg for table scraps from them. Soon the fishermen developed a fondness for their regular visitors and closely observed the habits of the cats. The fishermen interpreted the actions of the cats as predictions for fish patterns and weather conditions. Then one day, as the fishermen were collecting rocks to use for their fixed-nets, a loose rock fell and killed one of the cats. The fishermen were so saddened by the fatal accident that killed the cat that they buried and enshrined it at the very location of Neko jinja.