Tashiroshima is a slightly larger island near Sendai, a few hours north of Tokyo by bullet train, that also has more feline citizens than humans. Don’t miss out on the two shrines on the island, complete with guardian cats lounging around. The ferry only runs in the morning and afternoon from Matsuyama on the mainland, so pack a picnic, some kitty treats, and get ready to commune with the felines. Aoshima, a tiny island in Ehime prefecture in southern Japan, has only 15 residents and no facilities aside from a ferry, but it does have a cat population of over 120 kitties. Now, the main contribution of these felines is to bring in tourists. Japan has more than ten “cat islands.” Most of these islands were fishing communities or silkworm farms where cats were used to control the rodent population. There are several "cat islands" around Japan, where the cat populations far outweighs the human one There are also lots of great animal spots in Japan that don’t require hiking boots! National parks are plentiful in Japan, and hiking and birdwatching fans enjoy excellent infrastructure across the country. It’s still easy to get amongst the animals in Japan. No visit to Nara is complete without getting to know the local deer population These animals are sometimes tricksters, sometimes helpers, and sometimes just doing their own thing, but they are a reminder that the natural world has always been close at hand in Japan. Japanese mythology is full of animals: monkeys guard the entrances to temples, raccoons stand guard outside of Japanese pubs, cats beckon good fortune with an upraised paw, and foxes serve as shape-shifting messengers from Shinto gods.
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