Cat Island? Seriously? (April 18, 2026)
Today, Will, Violet and I went out of our way to visit “Cat Island” in Japan. Technically, the island is called Aoshima, Japan, but to this day, the number of cats out number the residents. When Will had decided to join us on this World Tour, this was his top request. Specifically, that when we were visiting Japan, we make a special trip out to see cat island and today we made it happen.
One of three designated feeding spots on cat island
By some reports, the cats outnumber the residents by … wait for it … 36 to one! This used to be a thriving fishing village. But as sardine fisheries became depleted, the jobs moved to cities and fewer and fewer inhabitants stuck around. Meanwhile, the cats, originally brought over to get rid of the rodents on fishing boats, multiplied. That is until recently, the entire cat population were all spayed and neutered so that when these cats die of natural causes the legacy of cat island will eventually come to an end.
Happy cat friend on Will’s lap. Just what Will needed today!
Violet getting in some lap time with the same friendliest kitty
So here’s the thing. At one point, this cat population was said to be in the hundreds. And before the spay and neutering, there were probably many kittens and large families of cats. Today, it’s more like a retirement community for cats. Most of these cats are really, really old and some with some diseases they are currently working through.
My vision was walking off the ferry and being inundated with cats. Instead, there were about 15 to 20 who greeted us and hung out with us during the time we were there. There may have been more, but if so they were hiding. In comparison, we’ve seen larger clowders of cats in Greece and Italy just hanging around major tourist attractions.
But, no matter. We were here for the full cat island experience. We armed ourselves with two smallish bags of cat food and used the first bag immediately after coming off the boat as the cats were clearly anticipating this. We saved the other as we wandered the island going for the full exploration.
There are 2 ferries per day. Arrive at 8am, leave at 4:15pm.
Where to go? We explored various trails on the island. The first trail lead to the lighthouse. And it was surreal. Specifically, this was our first glimpse at how nature was already rewilding. Without people to deter the vines and trim the plants, nature was absorbing the buildings and structures previously habituated by humans. It felt like we walked onto the set of the Last of Us.
Houses are crumbling while plants appear to be absorbing them
And then we reached the top to check out the lighthouse. In stark contrast to the trail and houses seen on the way to the lighthouse, this structure looked pristine and recently renovated. The white tiles were immaculate and the lighthouse looked new and modern.
Yes, some dark spots that could use cleaning, but pristine overall
So then we headed back down toward town and couldn’t help notice the abandoned school we passed on the way up. We checked it out and it was more than we could have hoped for. It was like visiting a Japanese version of Pompeii (see related blog post). Amazing!
Old abandoned school neatly preserved like a museum (sort of)
What time is the only ferry off this island? 4:15pm? What time is it now? 11am? So, we still have 5 hours to kill? Okay, let’s keep exploring! Next up, the beach areas. Let’s see if we can get closer to the water.
The water is pristine, clear and aqua blue (minus the algae)
As Will, Violet and I were hiking all around this island, we likened it to Indian Lake. In upstate New York, there are camp ground islands you can rent for the weekend (or longer) in the summer months as part of Indian Lake (near Lake George). For several years, our family has joined a few others and rented all the camp sights on the same island. In this way, we essentially have our own private island for a long weekend. This is what cat island felt like.
There were only 2 other tourists and we met only 2 residents on the island today. As we explored, it really felt like we had the whole island to ourselves. This feeling was exacerbated by all the abandoned buildings and overgrowth of nature. The hiking trails, while recognizable, were in need of upkeep, so it felt more dystopian and post-apocalyptic.
Was this a great day? Absolutely. We were totally off the beaten path today. While many people will visit Tokyo and less will visit Kyoto and Osaka, I suspect I could live the rest of my life without running into anyone who has gone out of their way to visit Aoshima (aka “cat island”). And yes, much of this island is abandoned and yet that’s part of the fun any explorer has; to discover what’s been left behind and how things used to be in the past.
Besides, I got to spend a full day with both of our kids. What could be better than that?
Tomorrow, we head to the KIX airport hotel and on Monday we fly to Seoul, South Korea. Ten days after that on April 30th, Violet will head back home to New York (sniff) and Will and I will head to Mexico City. I’m finally in the last 8 weeks of my World Tour and savoring these last few weeks together with my kids. A month from now, I’ll be solo for my final 6-week adventure. I’m still mapping out exactly where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing.
