 | This article is missing information about ecology:. (January 2021) |
Native name: 青島 | |
|---|---|
 Aerial view of Aoshima in 1981 | |
  Aoshima Location in Japan | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Seto Inland Sea |
| Coordinates | 33°44′10″N 132°28′55″E / 33.736°N 132.482°E |
| Area | 0.49 km2 (0.19 sq mi) |
| Coastline | 4.2 km (2.61 mi) |
| Highest elevation | 90.8 m (297.9 ft) |
| Administration | |
Japan | |
| Region | Shikoku |
| Prefecture | Ehime Prefecture |
| City | Ōzu, Ehime |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 6[1] (2019) |
| Ethnic groups | Japanese |
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 human residents. Felines have been reported by news outlets to outnumber humans by ratios between 6:1[2] and 10:1,[3] but as elderly inhabitants of the island have died, the ratio has greatly increased to almost 36:1.[note 1] Felines were introduced to combat rodents on fishing boats, but remained on the island and reproduced in large numbers.[5][6][2]
The feline inhabitants of Aoshima are fed by food donations from all over Japan.[7] The cats also eat the small creatures of the island and some food from visitors.
The island is roughly 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) long.[citation needed] It was formerly part of Nagahama in Kita District, but as of 2005[update], is part of Ōzu city.
The human population has decreased since sardine fisheries depleted and jobs moved to cities. As of February 2019,[update] only six human residents live on Aoshima.[4]
- ^ a b Shiho (June 23, 2019). "世界中から人が集まる瀬戸内海のネコ天国「青島」で過ごす濃密な８時間" [Spending a dense 8 hours on cat heaven "Aoshima" in the Seto Inland Sea that people from all over the world come to visit] (in Japanese). Asahi Shimbun Globe. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ a b Meyers, Chris (March 2, 2015). "It's raining cats and tourists on a Japanese island". Reuters. Retrieved 2019-01-03.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
ehimeshimbunwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Setouchi, Minami (February 22, 2019). "愛媛県・青島「猫の楽園」の未来 昨年の不妊・去勢手術後もトラブルがたえず…" [The future of "Cat Paradise" Aoshima, Ehime: Neverending problems after last year's spaying and neutering surgeries] (in Japanese). AERA dot. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
昨年10月には210頭の猫が不妊・去勢手術済みであることが確認されたわけだが、実はそのほかに、未手術の猫が10数頭ほどいたことが後になってわかった。不満を持つ島民がこっそり隠していたのだ。
- ^ Kirkpatrick, Nick (March 3, 2015). "Cats outnumber people on this mysterious 'Cat Island'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- ^ Taylor, Alan (March 3, 2015). "A Visit to Aoshima, a Japanese 'Cat Island'". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2015-03-03.
- ^ "The Cats of Japan's Cat Island Eat Well Thanks to Food Donations". Life With Cats. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).