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Archipelago

    Aoshima

    青島, Isla Aoshima, Île Bleue

    33°44′N 132°29′E

    Aoshima (Japanese: 青島, Hepburn: Aoshima), also known as Cat Island (Japanese: 猫の島, Hepburn: Neko no shima), is an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents and small number of people.

    外来者向けのネコエサやり場（神社の手前）。港から左手方に歩いて数分。
    外来者向けのネコエサやり場（神社の手前）。港から左手方に歩いて数分。

    暇・カキコ / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Terrain

    33°44′N 132°29′E

    Terrain exaggerated for relief. Drag to look around.

    Overview

    Aoshima (Japanese: 青島, Hepburn: Aoshima), also known as Cat Island (Japanese: 猫の島, Hepburn: Neko no shima), is an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents and small number of people. Felines have been reported by news outlets to outnumber humans by ratios between 6:1 and 10:1, but as elderly inhabitants of the island have died, the ratio has greatly increased, to almost 36:1. Cats were introduced to combat rodents on fishing boats but remained on the island and reproduced in large numbers. The human population on the island has decreased since sardine fisheries became depleted and jobs moved to cities. As of December 2024, only four people are still living on Aoshima, while the number of cats has dropped to 80.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Chart

    Nearest islands

    Also in Japanese archipelago

    Also in Pacific Islands

    • New Guinea

      774,566 km²▲ 4,884 m

      Major islands

    • Japan

      377,974 km²

      Major islands

    • New Zealand

      268,021 km²

      Major islands

    • Honshu

      227,970 km²▲ 3,776 m

      Major islands

    • Luzon

      104,935 km²▲ 2,928 m

      Major islands

    • Mindanao

      93,885 km²▲ 2,954 m

      Major islands

    • Hokkaido

      77,983 km²▲ 2,291 m

      Minor islands

    • Sakhalin

      74,571 km²▲ 1,609 m

      Minor islands

    Also in Bōyo Islands

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Talus
    • Wikidata
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs