People on Tashirojima island worship the cat god to pray for good luck, sail smoothly and catch big fish.
Not only famous for cherry blossoms, Mount Fuji, Japan also owns a long list of unbelievable but true things. One of them is the island of Tashirojima – the kingdom of cat inhabitants.
The number of cats on Tashirojima island is almost twice that of humans. Image source: Reddit
Tashirojima is a small island located in the city of Ishinomaki, east of Miyagi Prefecture in the Tohoku region. The island has a circumference of about 11km, which is home to hundreds of cats along with the people on the island. It is said that the number of cats on the island is almost twice the number of people, which is why it is also known as the “cat mecca”.
Cat-shaped fisherman
Most of the inhabitants of the island are fishermen, so they worship the god of fishing. The fisherman here is in the form of a cat, so it is not difficult to understand that cats are revered animals on the island. They are free to come and go as they please anywhere on the island, be it the road, the lawn or any other place.
The god of fishing on the island is in the form of a cat. Image source: Pinterest
Since cats are held in high esteem on Tashirojima, dogs, the natural enemies of cats, are strictly forbidden. Aside from the fact that they have the form of the fish god, there are two other main reasons why cats are so important to the island.
The first reason is that in the past, silkworms were raised on the island, and it was the cat that helped protect the cocoons from mice. The second reason is that many people on the island are fishermen, they make predictions about the weather from the cat’s behavior every day to know the favorable time to set sail.
With such a close connection and a deep history attached to the inhabitants of the island, to this day, cats on the island still hold an important place in their lives.
Cats are free to come and go as they please anywhere on the island. Image source: Pinterest
Nitodako Pier is considered the entrance to Cat Island. This is considered a center that always gathers a large number of cats. Here is a large sign that says “Welcome to Tashirojima” decorated with cats.
The first thing that catches the attention of any visitor are the cats sprawled on the ground among the boats on the shore, some being fed by fisherman. The cats on Tashirojima are used to being around people, and they approach new visitors with excitement, without reservation.
Resting place of the cat god
About 1.7 kilometers north of Nitodakō pier, in the center of the island, is a cat shrine, protected by a red fence. This temple was built a long time ago in memory of a cat that died because of human carelessness. The temple is a place to remember the poor cat and also a place of prayer for the people on the island.
Temple of the cat god. Image source: Bored Panda
People said that after the temple was built, residents on the island sailed smoothly and continuously caught big fish. From then on, they began to work hard to bring offerings to the cat god temple. Every year on March 15, a big event takes place at the temple to commemorate the cat god.
Visiting Tashirojima Island, guests can stay inside a unique cat-shaped inn created by manga artists Chiba Tetsuya and Satonaka Machiko.
Unique cat-shaped motel. Image source: GaijinPot Travel
There are some rules when visiting the cat island that tourists should keep in mind to avoid being fined: do not let cats eat any junk food or food that affects their health, do not disturb cats who are sleeping, banning littering, taking pictures on the road is a dangerous act that obstructs traffic and can cause accidents, encouraging walking on the island.
