Japan Quests
Animals
Cat islands in Japan — all 11 of them, island by island
日本の猫島
This page lists all 11 cat islands Japan features in the "Japan's Cat Islands" collection of the Japan travel app. These are remote islands where cats outnumber people. Each island is reached by ferry across Japan's quiet seas. The collection includes places like Tashirojima in Miyagi Prefecture, Aoshima and Muzukijima in Ehime Prefecture, and Ainoshima and Genkaishima in Fukuoka Prefecture.
The 11 islands are spread across nine of Japan's 47 prefectures. The list includes locations from the northern Tohoku region down to Kyushu in the south. For example, Enoshima is in Kanagawa Prefecture, close to Tokyo, while Yushima is located in Kumamoto Prefecture on Kyushu.
Travellers can use this list to identify specific cat islands they might wish to visit. The information provides a factual overview of each location's prefecture, allowing for itinerary planning based on geographical spread and accessibility.
Miyagi 宮城
Tashirojima
田代島The most famous cat island: felines vastly outnumber the few human residents, and a small cat shrine (Neko-jinja) sits mid-island.
Kanagawa 神奈川
Enoshima
江の島Easy-access tourist island near Tokyo with a well-known community of resident cats among the shrine lanes.
Shiga 滋賀
Okishima
沖島Japan's only inhabited freshwater island (Lake Biwa), car-free, with a laid-back cat presence.
Okayama 岡山
Manabeshima
真鍋島Sleepy Okayama island with retro Shōwa streets and plenty of cats; featured in a French travel book.
Yamaguchi 山口
Iwaishima
祝島Yamaguchi island with striking stone-walled lanes (neri-bei) and many cats.
Kagawa 香川
Sanagishima
佐柳島Seto Inland Sea island known for 'jumping cats' photos at the old harbour wall.
Ehime 愛媛
Aoshima
青島A tiny Ehime island with one of the world's highest cat-to-human ratios; a short ferry and a single café.
Muzukijima
睦月島Quiet Ehime island in the Kutsuna archipelago with a relaxed cat population and citrus groves.
Fukuoka 福岡
Ainoshima
相島A fishing island off Shingū with a famous cat colony around the harbour; easy day trip from Fukuoka.
Genkaishima
玄界島Fishing island in Hakata Bay, close to Fukuoka city, with a friendly harbour cat crowd.
Kumamoto 熊本
Yushima
湯島Small island in the Amakusa sea (Kumamoto), nicknamed 'Cat Island', also known for historic Shimabara-rebellion meetings.
Photo credits
- Tashirojima — 暇・カキコ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Aoshima — 暇・カキコ — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Ainoshima — ShinguTown — CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Sanagishima — TAKA@P.P.R.S — BY-SA 2.0 · source
- Manabeshima — 主細胞 — BY-SA 4.0 · source
- Muzukijima — hiropiro. — BY 2.0 · source
- Genkaishima — hiropiro. — BY 2.0 · source
- Okishima — sabamiso — BY 2.0 · source
- Enoshima — Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands — CC BY 2.0 · source
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