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Cat Island

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Tashirojima or formally known as "Cat Island", is a rural island off the coast of central Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture. It is inhabited by several hundred felines which are cared by the island's human residents.

The cats here were originally brought over to help with the pest control around the island's silkworm farms. Since then, cats numbers have increased that they now outnumbered the island's human population.

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Things to see

Cat lovers from around the world come to visit Tashirojima to feed and play with the cats roaming around the island. On the center of the island, they built a small, cat-sized Cat Shrine in dedication to a cat that was accidentally killed by a falling rock. It can be found along the road about halfway between Odomari and Nitoda villages.

Most of the cats are found around Nitoda Port on the southeastern side of the island.

Travel Notes

There are buses in the Ishinomaki Station that will pass through Ajishima Line-mae bus stop, which is in front of the Ajishima Line ferry terminal. From there, ride the ferry and you'll be able to get off at the Cat Island.

Admission

Be aware that Tashirojima does not have any tourist facilities. There are small number of minshuku around Nitoda, there are also no restaurants, a very few shops or public toilets available in the island.

There are a few vending machines and public toliets are located along the Nitoda waterfront ar the Fisheries Development Center.

Note that the visitors are asked to carry home all the garbage that they produced in the island.

Guide Map

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