Aoshima Island is one of about a dozen "cat islands" around Japan, small places where there are significantly more feline residents than people. In Aoshima more than a hundred cats prowl the island, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in the quiet fishing village. Cats outnumber humans six to one on the island. Recently becoming popular online, tiny Aoshima has seen a steep rise in tourist visits, overwhelming the handful of permanent residents.
![Cats crowd around village nurse and Ozu city official Atsuko Ogata as she carries a bag of cat food on Aoshima Island in Ehime prefecture in southern Japan - The Largest Travel Guide in the World](https://sworld.it/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/17152510131652954936663ca745ec646.jpg)