Get the most of Wanderboat by installing our new mobile app.

Ao Island

Japan Ehime Prefecture OzuAo Island

Learn more insights from Wanderboat AI

outdoor

family friendly

Aoshima, also known as Cat Island, is an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents and small number of human residents.

Description

Aoshima, also known as Cat Island, is an island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, known for its large number of feline residents and small number of human residents.

Plan your stay

hotel

Pet-friendly Hotels in Ozu

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

hotel

Affordable Hotels in Ozu

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

hotel

The Coolest Hotels You Haven't Heard Of (Yet)

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

hotel

Trending Stays Worth the Hype in Ozu

Find a cozy hotel nearby and make it a full experience.

Posts

Hopefully some helpful tips: The island is currently not really open for people from outside the island. a) its not a tourist attraction b) the protect the population for sickness People are only allowed to be at the pier. So 8h there is maybe a bit boring. So I would recommend the second ferry. Which would give one hour to play with the gets. (Only two ferries to and from the island per day) You do not need to bring food or water for the cats! There are also not 200 cats. Maybe some come out when it’s autumn or spring but in summer maybe 20 cats hang out around the pier. The cats get fed by the captain of the ferry twice a day. He also looks after the water. The captain feeds the cats when the ferry arrives so just follow him and you will find the cats. And the residents also feed and give water to the cats outside the main feeding area. The cats are looked after and yes some old cats are just old and look therefore not the best. But they have been sterilized some wear collars and it looks like the ship captains favorite cat is the one without a tail. There is a place/ hut at the pier where you can pick up cat toys, leave cat food, rest and with a toilet. During the summer months the cats are mostly in the shade and outside the visitor area. Currently the island has also some construction work around the old school building done. Its beautiful and sad at the same time. Beautiful nature and sad to see that one day there will be only cats left on the island. And even the cats will be gone one day because they are sterilized. Cat with missing part of the ear= sterilized cat I spoke with one of the residents of the island. She was super nice and spoke with me about the island and its shrines. She was also interested to hear more about where I am from and why I came all the way to her island. If you speak Japanese, I highly recommend to speak with the residents. After all you are basically in their home and guests on their island. At least greet them in Japanese and say thank you. The island is perfect for people who love animals, nature, quietness, Japanese history and loneliness. Its not a tourist place at all. Again currently only pier allowed. Thank you for coming to my TedTalk ;)

J DJ D

3260

This cat island is not what we expected, either in terms of the cats, or the island itself. It’s reached via a ferry journey from Nagahama. If you go on the 14:30 ferry and come back on the 16:00 ferry you will have time to explore most of what is accessible on the island. The ferry arrives at a pretty harbour in what appears to be a paradise island. There will be cats at the harbour. Make sure to bring food – that’s why they have obligingly come to meet you. There were not as many cats as we thought there would be. Maybe a few dozen at most. They mostly seemed ok, although some of them looked as if they might be a bit sick. Some are quite thin. After meeting the cats, we wanted to look around the island. We walked up to the temple near the harbour, which is clearly maintained. Other than that, most buildings and pathways are closed off or derelict. We had read that the island has only a small human population and we didn’t really meet anyone who wasn’t a visitor. It seems that most locals have abandoned the island, leaving a tiny community of just half a dozen older folk, living around the harbour. It must once have been a thriving island though. There are some big buildings, like a municipal block on the hill above the harbour, completely overgrown and broken down. It’s beautiful, in a way, to see how nature has taken over. It is full of insects and spiders. Most notable are the sea slaters, woodlouse-type insects that occupy every roadway and building. As you walk, they scatter and then, if you stand still, they crawl back. They must live for a long time because some are tiny and some are up to about 2 inches long. The most shocking thing about the island is the plastic. If you walk along the harbour wall and look down between the rocks, or if you go onto the beach, there is a plastic littered everywhere. Little bits and big bits and all sorts of things. It is an interesting place to visit, but it feels neglected. Fun fact: Aoshima, literally means, Blue Island, maybe for how blue the sea is here. (Forgive me if I have got that Japanese translation wrong.)

Jacqui LondonJacqui London

570

Loads of misinformation around this island so hopefully this helps you not having the experience we had. We have gone there yesterday, on a Friday in July so supposedly high season. it’s quite hard to reach, but the morning ferry ride was EMPTY a part from us, the afternoon one (at 14 30) had 3 people on. I highly advise you to get the afternoon one so you don’t have to spend 7 hours on a very tiny island with no shops, cafes restaurants or vending machines, especially in Japan’s summer heat. The most disheartening thing about Aoshima is seeing the cats, loads of them are sick and in very poor conditions. They desperately need to see a vet and we questioned whether they are getting fed at all as loads of them are very skinny. I presume many of them have already died as we only met about 20-30 of them. If we knew we could at least have brought more water, a brush (loads of them are shedding hair and really struggling in the heat) and way more food, especially wet food like tuna cans as they seemed to love it. (We brought some food but it wasn’t enough as also we spent the whole day there with them). If you are a cat lover it might be really disheartening to see the conditions they are in and feeling powerless about it.

Eleonora LEleonora L

290

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. 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.

মায়া জালমায়া জাল

420

2019年のゴールデンウィークに訪問。早朝6時30分頃に渡船場に到着するも、既に30人の行列！自分はギリギリ乗船できた。海外からの方を含め50人ほどは乗船できず昼便も難しい状況だった。島に到着すると、たくさんの猫たちがお迎えに来てくれた(^^) 人が歩けば猫にあたるって感じです。人慣れしてるコが多いので、おもちゃで遊んだり、写真もたくさん撮らしてもらえます(^^) 帰りの船まで約8時間滞在。自動販売機や商店がないので、食料、飲み物は持参必須。ゴミも必ず持ちかえり。トイレは待合室にありました。猫好きで、長時間滞在が苦でなければ、連休を避けて訪問をおすすめします。また、島民の方々のプライバシーには充分配慮し、迷惑がかからないようにしないといけません。 ------------- We arrive at Boarding port around 6:30 in the early morning, but there is already a procession of 30 people! I was able to get on board at the last minute. About 50 people, including those from overseas, could not board and day flight was also difficult. When the island arrived, many cats came to pick me up. you can play with toys and take lots of photos (* ^^ *) Stay for about 8 hours until return ship. There are no vending machines and shops, so it is essential to bring food and drinks. I always bring back my trash. The toilet was in the waiting room. I would recommend visiting without taking consecutive holidays.

Life EnjoyLife Enjoy

770

평일 오전에 가서 8시간동안 진득하게 있었습니다. 그때는 섬에 저 혼자밖에 없어서 하루종일 고양이만 남겨진 무인도에 있었던 느낌이었습니다. 다른 곳에선 고양이의 낙원이라곤 하던데, 솔직히 고양이를 키우고 있고, 고양이를 좋아하는 입장에서 여기는 낙원이라는 느낌이 전혀 들지 않았습니다. 여행객들이 밥을 주지 않으면, 얘내들은 하루종일 굶게 되는거고, 고양이들 사이에서도 츄르등 간식을 먹기위해 경쟁을 하다보니 건강상태가 천차만별이었습니다. 저한테는 마치 노숙자를 보는 듯한 느낌도 들었습니다. 제가 8시간동안 쭉 있었던 결과, 주민분들이 사료를 챙겨주지는 않았습니다. 삐쩍 마르고 눈도 곪아서 앞이 안 보이는 고양이들도 몇 보였는데, 솔직히 좀 안타까웠습니다. 하지만 아오시마에선 모든 고양이를 케어해줄 순 없는 노릇일테고, 중성화나 수의사들이 주기적으로 방문해서 진료는 본다는 말을 듣고 '그냥 이 섬의 규칙이구나'라는 생각이 들어서 수긍 됐었습니다. 한 번 갔다온 입장에서 저는 다시 갈것 같지는 않습니다. 갈 수 있는 곳도 한정적이고(폐가와 주민들이 사는 집이 있기때문), 고양이들을 많이 보고 싶다면 고양이카페 가는 것을 추천드립니다. 유튜브에서 보이는 아오시마와, 현실에서 보는 아오시마는 정말 괴리감이 큽니다... 교통편도 좋지않고, 교통편... 생각보다 돈 많이 듭니다. 여기 갈까 고민하시는 분들은 제 리뷰보고 참고되는 부분이 있으면 좋겠네요. 일단 신선하긴 합니다. 사람보다 고양이가 많은 곳은 흔치 않으니깐요.

이현민이현민

30

Get more from Wanderboat AI

Overview

4.7

(276 reviews)

Deep Dive

A deep dive into Ao Island

Get the iOS app

Get the most of Wanderboat by installing our new mobile app

Continue to site

Wanderboat Cover

Unable to get your location