Inside the quiet fishing village where cats outnumber humans - it's a 'tranquil paradise'
Humans are estimated to be outnumbered by cats by 36:1.
Welcome to Aoshima, a tiny island located in the Ehime Prefecture of southern Japan. The island is a peaceful fishing village with a circumference of just 1.6km. However, what it's most known for is its huge cat population, with cats outnumbering humans living on the island.
The most recent statistics estimate that humans are outnumbered on the island by some 36:1. As of 2019, Asahi Shimbun Globe reports the human population to be six and AERA dot reports that there were at least 220 cats on the island in October 2018.
As such, the island has been lovingly nicknamed "cat island".
The island in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, is known around the world for its feline residents.
Over the years, cats have been reported as outnumbering humans somewhere between 6:1 and 10:1, but as elderly inhabitants have begun to die, this ratio has grown tremendously.
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Cats were first introduced to the island in a bit to combat rodent on fishing boats, but over the years the cats which remained on Aoshima reproduced to create the vast population.
The island is roughly one mile long, but visitors report seeing cats at every turn.
Since sardine fisheries depleted and more people moved to cities for work, the human population on the island has depleted.
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The cats on the island are fed by food donations from all over Japan. Visitors to the island often feed the cats, while the few human inhabitants on the island also lend a hand in caring for the felines.
The cats also eat the small creatures on the island.
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Having become increasingly popular online, tiny Aoshima has seen a steep rise in tourist visits, with visitors to the island overwhelming the number of local residents.
Many people choose to visit to photograph the cats. Aoshima is accessible by boat from Nagahama port. Each one-way trip takes 35 minutes and is reported by local outlets to cost ¥1,360 which equates to approximately £6.77.
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The feline population of the island had been reported as between 120 and 130 between 2015 and 2018. Since then, this figure is thought to have grown.
In 2018, it was reported by Ehime Shimbun that all of the cats on the island would be spayed or neutered with hopes of lowering the feline population as a response to the declining human population.
By October, it was reported that 210 cats had been spayed and neutered. However, an estimated 10 cats remained unaccounted for. It's thought that either the cats are hiding or they have been hidden by a resident on the island who is opposed to the scheme.
(Image: Getty Images)