100 people and 400 cats - the realities of one Japanese island (8 photos)

This is where the paradise for cats and lovers of these animals is. Tashiro Island in Miyagi Prefecture in Japan - home to about 4 hundred cats. Wherein the number of people here is only about 100 people, although earlier they were under thousand.





It's clear who's in charge here.

From silkworms to cats

There are only 2 small villages on the Japanese island - Odomari and Nitoda. And cats appeared here not by chance. For a long time the local population engaged in the breeding of silkworms for the production of high quality silks. But silkworms were attacked by rats and mice. It turns out that silkworms are a tasty treat for these rodents.

To ensure the safety of silkworms, it was necessary somehow solve the problem of reproduction of rodents. And the solution became clear start breeding cats.



Tashiro Island

Temples in honor of cats

From the very beginning, people began to take care of fluffies and treat them with respect. They were not domesticated, but simply allowed live in a natural environment. Cats were well fed, treated, in their honor were Numerous monuments and even 10 temples were built.

We don’t know if cats appreciated temples and monuments, but people from For their part, cats are considered sacred animals. One of the shrines built on Tashiro when the fishermen, while collecting stones, fixed fishing nets, accidentally touched one cat. Poor thing, alas, died. She was buried with honors. Sanctuary built in memory of It is still visited today by both locals and tourists.





Monument in honor of cats

The islanders believe that cats attract prosperity and wealth for homes and families. And the fishermen believe that these animals can predict the weather and good catch.

Poor but happy

The island's population has been declining in recent years. Is not surprisingly, young people leave in search of a better life and prospects. Only the old-timers remain. Therefore, the average age of locals on the island is 71 year. All of them are far from rich people, but the population of cats needs to be feed daily.



Locals and tourists can be counted, but not cats

Now silkworms are no longer bred on the island, but he managed to get world fame: its second name was "cat island". Therefore, all hope for tourism. The press and the Internet have become a "window into world" in order to get to know about the island outside of Japan.

Rules for visiting the island

People from all over the world flock to this cozy "cat haven" numerous tourists who revere and love cats. To become a guest on the island, it is necessary to comply with the mandatory bipedal rules.



Temple of the Cats on Tashiro Island

First, you can't bring dogs here.

Secondly, it is also forbidden to feed cats with anything and beyond measure.

Thirdly, there are rules regarding photography. For example, you can not shine in the eyes of cats with a camera flash.

Tashiro is the abode of cats and it is they who are considered full the owners of the island. They are treated with respect and love. In my turn, quadrupeds reciprocate. They are not afraid of people accept from them permitted sweets and even gracefully pose for photo and video filming.



Take a closer look, there are no skinny cats here

Cat owners live longer

It's no secret that cats are considered magical animals, which can connect a person with other worlds. Also, many who come to the island believe: communication with animals helps to heal from ailments and harmonize the state of mind and body.

No wonder there is a special technique for communicating people with cats, as a result of which the well-being of patients improves. It's called feline therapy. In addition, cat owners have fairly strong immunity and they live an average of 5-7 years longer other people.



House in the form of a cat on Tashiro