The Sad Reality of Japan's Famous Cat Island | Aoshima
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 พ.ค. 2024
- Aoshima Island is home to hundreds of cute cats that roam around the tiny island. This island located in Ehime prefecture was once lively fishing village, but is now home to only 6 permanent residents. After hearing about all the adorable cats, we made sure to add this island to part of our Shikoku itinerary. But the reality of everything is this place may not last for that much longer...
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#cats #islandlife #japanvlog
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This is the sad reality of a lot of places in Japan. Lots of abandoned building because of urbanization and people relocating to the cities for work
That is the case everywhere in the world though. Only relatively new countries like USA can avoid that to some degree, but I'm sure even in USA there's already places that are becoming ghost towns... such as all the towns that came to be thanks to a gold rush.
Actually Japan have problem about deficit population, there are a lot abandon houses in the city, no wonder like this in rural area..
@@Kareen8701 A lot of old houses nobody wants to buy because it wouldn't be worth the cost. They would rather just build new one.
@@spugelo359 That trend is starting to reverse in the US at least. A lot of real estate companies have been buying up all the housing and apartments in the big cities and renting them out instead of selling them while jacking up the prices sky high making it extremely expensive to live in the city. That combined with online and at home working becoming more of a thing people are starting to move away from big cities and back into more rural areas. Hence why a lot of big companies are against the work from home set ups because they've invested heavily into those real estate companies.
also birthrates play a factor, japans population (like many highly developed countries) is on the decline.
really surprised they havent made this place a tourist spot
It would make the island a lot better, but they just don't have the people or infrastructure to do so unfortunately.
There are a dozen other islands off Japan where the same thing happened, maybe look into one with better prospects.
The sun has already set on this one.
It depends on who owns the island and what the remaining residents want. They may not want to turn their island into a place crawling with tourists and disturbing them. I can tell that they are pretty old and they may just want to live out their lives in the peaceful surroundings. Maybe after they are all gone they might turn the place into a tourist spot.
i really hope they don't tbh. I live in a small town near takayama and the apartment next to me and under opened up as an airbnb and while some tourists are fine, i also start to understand why some japanese don't nessesrily like toursits around where they live.
While yes tourisum would help financally, it also makes living there a hassle.
Tbh I thought it was. I saw a short documentary about it some 10 years ago that made it seem like a neiche tourist spot
A good idea for Cat Island is to add a adoption center so you can adopt a cat you like.
actually?
Or bring some rats to the island so the cats can eat the rats
That would be great 👍
@@Imonthecomputer that will decrease the population(of cats) because cats die from rats
I agree
I visited this island yesterday and coincidentally found this video today! I even recognized some of the cats in the video and was wondering if the clipped ear meant they were neutered. It really is somber seeing all the abandoned and collapsed houses -- I tried reaching the lighthouse but the path is so overgrown that it's not possible anymore. It is also sad seeing how many of the kitties needed medical attention especially during the winter. I can only hope they all live happy lives despite what ultimately happens to the island.
I hope you still had a wonderful time nevertheless!
@@didibryan I did, thank you! Was really a treat having so many kitties come up to me and even fall asleep in my lap haha.
It's not a coincidence, youtube knew you visited the island
Most likely the clipped ear means theyee neutered, my cats are neutered/spayed and they got their ears clipped
I wish some millionaire will send these locals and cats some help. This is definitely on my list of things to do when I'll be a millionaire.
For the cats yes please! For the locals, it's harder since there's no reason for younger generations to live here anymore.
Same! I would def open up vet clinics
I'm going to do this too!
You’re Nice
@@coreanstacker5427 Let them have goals! It ain't impossible. Shit fam, don't need to be negative.
If it’s Nationally famous these cats can actually bring money to the island. they just need to call an association and organize everything with monthly volunteers, etc. tourists fee could finance happiness again in this island if do correctly
Well if there's only 6 residents I don't feel like they have any incentive-- that's lot to ask i feel like of a small community
@@TyphlosionGirl someone can create a buisness and hire from outside the island
Tourists are a Nightmare. I m glad the locals dont have to deal with it.
This actually made me cry a little. At least they had them neutered and the ones there get to live out their lives in peace. Judging by their body language i would say they are very happy cats.
Such adorable cats, wish I could adopt one! Appreciate the informative video. It does break my heart those precious cats don’t have a single loving home.
Well I Mena they have a shrine and they are allowed in temples and stuff
Me too. I have uncontrollable tears welling up as I watch this. Such a sad reality.
5 months ago I gave a kitty his forever home. His name is Buddy and he is in his bed and he will never know pain like these poor kitties do. I thank God for my Bubby. That's my pet name for him. He is 8 months old now. He is the sweetest and most well natured cat you could ever meet.
Me to
maybe oversea japanese can sponsor cats - send them money - long distant adoption
There are no words that can express my sadness, these cats better be brought to safety if the island truly is abandoned
I mean, cats are great hunters, they would survive, but many would die
@@pneusurif there's enough food and shelter then they'll be fine
The island seems way too small to sustain diverse life. That cats prob killed all the birds and rodents.
If you leave them you would end up with 1 level99 boss cat left
When I visit Japan, I hope that I do soon, this is going to be my first stop. I LOVE kitties and I would gladly give whatever I have left to help them. God bless their little souls. All they want is love...and of course some tasty food.
I agree i would lay down my life if it would save the cats
I needed this. Tuesday represented the one year anniversary of when my BEAUTIFUL silver tabby passed away. She was 19! We'd been together 14 years.
I love you, Little Mooshcat! I will NEVER forget you...
These posts make me cry, my dog died recently.
I didn't know about this one, but heard of the rabbit island located in the same country. Glad to see they are all, or least almost all, fixed. I noticed the cliped ear right away and was a bit surprised that it's an international practice. I sincerely hope people adopt these cats or assist in assuring a better life for the animals. As crazy as it may sound, I think a program of/campaign supporting adoption for both islands might actually be popular with the public. Whom thus will pay for the adoption and thus seen as a status symbol of humanitarian/activism, so to speak, action. Personally I don't particularly want it to be expensive beyond normal costs but in today's environment people might be willing to pay to just to say they adopted a cat or rabbit from such locations and in turn give the animals a good home(I hope) while paying a premium. Which can convince officials of the viability of such an endeavor and foster a advertising campaign that will assist in getting this achieved. This same method might work for other locals that have large populations of other animals like dogs. I had a boss that went to great lengths to adopt a dog from Aruba, the dog was named Aduba from Aruba and took much time to find peace amount people as it wasn't treated nice as a random stray. So I believe this may offset these poor animals suffering if people just open up to adoption.
i agree a ton, if i could, i would.
If there are enough people for adoption, there won't be any strays in the first place.
The island would never be empty. Nature will make it lively again. When all cats are gone, some birds might make it their home, shores might get shellfish and crabs roaming around.
And Chinese army
the government should have renovated the island to be a tourist attractions, the income from tourists can provide a living for both the locals and the cats
I agree
Do you both realise that there are only 6 residents living there and that too old ones? They don't want any disturbance by noisy and dirty tourists littering everywhere.
@@wildlifeisthewealthofnatur5457
My dude, miss the whole point of this video.
Wonderful video. Loved the fact you also covered not just the cats but the situation on the island.
Thank you!
@@didibryan just take a cat
You can see also cats island called Tashirojima in Japan. Rachel and Jun went to visit. You can learn how the situation there. The video is on their channel.
Yes we saw that as well! Maybe we'll have an opportunity to visit that as well in the future
I've been to Tashirojima twice and it has a fair bit more for tourists such as a cafe and shrines and vending machines. They actually ask you not to feed the cats as the residents look after them and vets visit regularly too. The ferry from Ishinomaki is a bit more frequent too and it's never been really busy. The shrines on the island are also worth visiting, including the cat shrine.
@@petershillito And I want that kind of place for cats in my country. A good cat sanctuary that look after by kind people
It really saddens me how a lot of country side is becoming abandoned in Japan over time. There is so much that will be lost and never return
Times go by quick my friend, busy places become abandoned and abandoned places become lively. I wouldn't worry, even if we're all dead it will be populated again one day.
Man, I really hope I could still visit the island before it's too late. But the odds aren't looking great. I wish the people and the cats on that island the best!!!
Cat island has a lot of potential as a small tourist attraction. If anything an additional ferry to take tourists, a spot for tourists to stay for the day thats cat-themed, or just a cat cafe might help.
I've been there and yeah I can confirm it was heartbreaking I wanted to take all these cats home...
That's stupid idea they look happier there without being redomesticated
@@XZ-III Cats have been domesticated thousands of years ago by humans, so "redomestication" means nothing at all. Contrary to wild cats these cats are completely unsuited for living in the wilderness and almost entirely relient on the humans of the island. Except they don't beneficiate from the care a housecat would get, they don't get neutered and they don't get vaccinated. Most of the cats I saw were sick, starving and covered in fleas. That's not "happier"
@@XZ-III ignorant and delusional thinking
i was literally crying, this is so sad. I wish i could come there.
Thanks a lot for highlighting my comment
I'm a cat person myself and I would LOVE to visit Aoshima Island. Plus I love fish anyway. Mostly salmon.
But are you?
This video got recommended to me just recently. Thank you for the informative and bittersweet content.
🐾 Thank you so much for this very sweet video! I'm sad that Aoshima island now only has 6 residents left. I will definitely visit when I come to Japan and bring a lot of catfood for donations.
Hopefully I will still get to visit the cute small island filled with cats 🥲
Hope so too! The Japan borders are finally open again
They really need to do everything they can to keep this place alive. It's wonderful. Add some convenience stores and vending machines, everything else that people are looking for these days, including good internet, build some hotels, renovate and beautify the island, and it really could be a place to go, aside from all the wonderful cats. It'll be sad to know that the cats will age, maybe get to live their lives in freedom on their island, but most likely will be deported to main island where they might have a hard time finding forever homes for all the semi-feral elderly cats.
It'd most likely require a bridge for easy access to actually deliver and build everything on the island if the infrastructure for boat delivery isn't in place.
@@Ashevlyn Japanese love transportation infrastructure. They'd need either an underwater tunnel or a bridge as you proposed and a special JR Train Station. But I'd imagine the distance between it and the nearest main island is a bit too far to justify a bridge. But smaller towns in Japan got JR Rail train stations in the past, so that's a bit more on the table imo.
An airport is probably the best bet, but the ferry probably seats almost as many as an intercity plane.
The boat ride, I would say, is part of the attraction. In terms of supply deliveries, they could install a smaller version of Hyperloop for goods only (pneumatic tubes that many banks use for drive throughs) and while they're at it, pipe in fiber optic along these lines and energy lines to hook everyone up on that island.
thank you for this video and showing us the beauty of this island i would love to go and see all these adoarble cats and meet this amazing residents that have kept this place alive for as long as they have its really sad to think that in a couple of years it really will be empty i do hope i can go before then. or there would be some way to reinhabit the island or find all the cats homes or something. again thank you for spreading a light on this lovely place❤
Very informative, and thank you so much for translation captions!
You're welcome!
One of the place that i really want to visit one day. I really want to come visit here. Such adorable and cutie cats. ❤❤
Its like a heaven for cat lovers🥺
Except it isn't because most of them are sick
It's so sad to see abandoned towns. People lived, worked, played, loved, made memories there.
Thank you. What a beautiful, sincere video. Great job!
Thanks for the video! I love your editing style.
Thank you so much Miles! Really appreciate it!
@@didibryan no problem! I stumbled upon this video when I was looking for information about this island to show my Mother. She's a lifelong cat lover. After we watched this I checked out your channel, and it reignited my desire to visit Japan. It's such a beautiful country, and you do a wonderful job of showcasing so much of what Japan has to offer.
That's so sweet of you to say! I hope you'll have a chance to visit here someday especially when the borders open to tourists again!
I just wish they looked healthier and happier. I am glad to hear they were neutered/spayed. Seems surprising no one's willing to adopt, but I guess no one wants semi-feral cats. Cats aside, the abandonment of rural villages and towns in a global phenomenon.
It should become a tourist destination. It would give the locals jobs. Also some mice should be introduced to the island, so the cats have a constant supply of food.
Mice would die too quick probably, and even if they don’t, they could get into the locals’ food stores.
As if there aren't mice.
What these cats really need is gettingcsterilized so this Problem comes to an end.
Mice aren't the best for food, they are just a toy in cats mind
Very informative and high quality. you guys should deserve more views! I should try this island someday.
Thank you so much Otonashi Soichiro! Yes you should if you can!
Now that explains the cuts on ALL of the cat's ears. I always wondered how can so many cats stay on such small territory without overpopulation problems, and neutering them actually makes sense. On the other hand, it's really sad that it's a matter of years before it will stop being and actual cat's island.
You would think with the overpopulation problem in a lot of Japan's cities that someone will take advantage of how abandoned that island is and develop it and make it more tourist friendly with restaurants and other things to do...
Beautiful video. Thank you.
You're welcome ♥️
Thank you for sharing this. I will never be able to go to this place but I really enjoyed your documentation!
You are very welcome!
Why isn't there a tourist destination at this island?
I think it would be hugely successful if opened.
Thank you for telling this story.
I want to visti it so bad!! made me sweat from my eyes a little bit!! It reminded me of Shirley, one of my first kitties. Good job, wishimg the best to ya!
I wish I could live there and look so peaceful and all of those gorgeous cats I'm just crazy about cats and I'm pretty sure the fishing is very exceptional.
Charming video.
And thank you for the "warning" :)
this is very well made video, i hope those cats are doing good.
Thank you! When we visited, they seemed healthy and were definitely very well fed. Hope it stays that way!
Me too i hope they stay healthy for their entire lives
it's astonishing that this beautiful island hasn't received some sort of aid from the goverment or elsewhere,, especially with as well known as it is. truly tragic
I visited Tashiro-Jima, which is the second most famous cat island near Sendai, in early 2020. It suffers from a lot of the same issues as you have mentioned in this video but it has had tourist infrastructure at some point. There were some places we had seen on google maps such as a tourist office, a shop and a cafe but all of those except for the shop were closed down. The shop only sold a few items of food (biscuits and crisps) and had fallen into disrepair, it was quite sad to see but the lady running the store was lovely. The cats were taken care of by locals well enough to the point that tourists coming to the island should not feed cats (it would interfere with diets I believe). The overall trip was interesting but it really wasn't this cat-lover paradise the tourist guides/blogs make it out to be. I don't know how it is these days, google maps says there are some places and cafes to visit nowadays.
Great video..thanks for sharing 👏👏👏😜❣️
Thank you!
That’s breaks my heart.. I remember seeing cat island in a video while I was in high school.. wanted to visit but I’ve never had the opportunity, now it’s going to be a part of history..
awesome video 😊
I think in a years or two they should round up all the cats and put them up for adoption in other parts of the world, idk its just an idea
Maybe when the residents can't take care of them anymore. It seems like some of the residents still enjoy their company though
Very good and informative video.
amazing video! thank you for explaining about cat island 😊
Thank you and our pleasure!
Ur too underrated u deserve 500k subs
Wow thank you so much
I'm probably never going to see this island, so listen carefully... When I'm older, I'm going to make my own cat island!! It is $20 per hour and it is free if you live there!!!
We would love to visit then!
$20 an hour is really expensive in these days and times… 😅 an hour it is then!
OMG poor babies! No vet care, seldom food. Wish i could save them all. I really hope someone can save these cats..my heart breaks
Same all i wanna do is cry
How easy would it be to arrive here for a first timer like myself? I am going to Japan this august on my own, but I know enough Japanese to ask for the island, just not enough to go full on convo with the locals.
This could be the American in me speaking but why dont they just open it for tourists and start a cat petting island with vets and everything…
They just don't have the infrastructure to do that. It's first a home for many of the people there and there's no young generation that is coming to live there either so no strong motivation to build things like that unfortunately
@@didibryan aaaahhh what the heck
@@didibryan thats just awful 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
@@didibryan I VOLUNTEER
This is so adorable
I wish I could give all these poor cats a home :(
Es cruel tenerlos así desamparados, sin recibir el cariño de nadie, solitos.
¿y en las noches de invierno dónde duermen? Ellos sufren mucho el frio. Inevitablemente enfermarán.
Y son tan bonitos y cariñosos.
Awwe how I wish there are more people to live in the island I hope japan do something about it
Same here but there's nothing Japan can really do. Their fishing industry is effectively gone since fish are no longer there and the young people all want to move to the big cities...
@@didibryan is there a way to suggest a massive adoption/relocation program to the government? On social media?
Not sure about social media but the island is located in Ehime prefecture and maybe could start by reaching out to them? www.pref.ehime.jp/index-e.html
@@didibryan aww thats awful i feel so sad why the heck would they abandon japan just because there is no fish there are other foods, to be honest i wanna cry i feel awful for all those poor cats
pretty amazing that they neutered all the cats. thanks for the video.
I wanna open a restaurant in front of the cat feeding area. My business would boom hahaha
Totally awesome
Its sad but true. How could they have not seen this coming? cats mate in volumes and reproduce like crazy. Human ego and greed have a strong hold on people to not think of the possible outcomes.
Pls rescue them before it gets abandoned pls send help to that island eminently
Thats soo sad I wish that there were millionaires to come live on the island and help them all😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Hello I was looking at this video and it was wonderful I personally think it would be wonderful to move there permanently what would it take for a person like me in the United States of America to immigrate to Japan and then ultimately on to Cat Island is it possible to do that
Moving to Japan will be easier but moving and living on this island may be tougher. Some things you'll need to figure out are housing, food, and what to do for a visa
God bless you.. i really hope you can move there
I would love to move there too also i would gladly lay down my life if it would save the cats
Cute doggy
Wish they make this still an official tourist destination, their local government can reinstitute the island for cat enthusiasts...
*They can rebuild some places to make a controlled space like cat zoo (a very large area where cat's wouldn't feel contained).
* Add specific tourist features where pollution can still be controlled ,
* Add a pet cemetery for cat owners nearby
Thank you for the video. My girlfriend and I hope on traveling next year and doing exactly the same thing that you suggested. Bring some food for the cats and spend a day with them and leave the extra at the donation center.
Thank you so much for this video! I have known about Cat Island for so long, but I always thought it was a place of cruelty, where an unchecked cat population was exploding, and remaining a place of rampant, untreated health issues in the animals. I am SO glad to hear that the locals have had the cats neutered, putting an end to the cruelty. This really makes me so happy, even though it’s sad to hear the locals may soon disappear from the island. Bless them for doing the right thing.
I wanna live here 💕💕💕💕
Definitely a lovely island!
How did you get the boat shots, especially of the boat leaving the island with presumably you on it?
Haha good eye.😉 We actually filmed a different boat leaving, but used it for the ending to tell the story better
1:48 I love this music! What music is this called? Also I love cat island!🐱🐈🐈⬛🐾
Why doesnt the government turn it into a tourist attraction. Having studied tourism myself, I am fully aware of the downsides of this, but for the cats and the remaining locals, I believe it is the lesser of two evils.
Gostaria de saber se esses gatos não podem ser enviados para outro lugar??
Inb4 Mr. Beast video titled: "I've adopted 1,000 cats in Japan and gave them away in the US"
Very cute
Bubbles would be in heaven lol. Seems like they could seek cat food on the island a little bit of a markup and then put that money into more stuff for the kitties.
Making this island into an official tourist spot comes with added responsibilities and cost. Once you start making a profit from visitors, you are then expected to also make sure all the health needs for the cats are being kept. Having all of these outdoor cats comes with a ton of problems, like parasites. Vaccines and visits from a vet will be needed, which is expensive.
Right now, the island residents are doing their best with what they have and with donations. It's very different that owning a business.
Best mose trap ever invented.
I think it's a lovely story, even the eventual ending. That's the way it should end, people and their cats going beyond, and the island returning to nature.
It was the best possible solution to neuter them all. Now all you have to do is feed them and give them medical attention if necessary and then they can enjoy the rest of their lives.
Unfortunately many countries in the world should, or rather must, take this approach as a model. It could be so easy if you don't let it get out of control.
Maybe the cats can be saved via a massive adoption or relocation program
Certainly not a bad idea!
When i was watching videos of this island i saw many cats that looked like mine, i srsly want them tho
I agree that would be amazing if that was a thing
okay, i think i would go here rather then hawaii.
cats r my fav animals, and i have one already. seeing her makes me already die, and if there are multiple i’ll literally dieeeeeeeee they are so cute !!
I'm thinking of going. When does the ferry leave Aoshima island? The sign seemed to say 2:30pm, but I'm not sure.
Are you asking when it departs from Aoshima? It leaves from the mainland for Aoshima at 230pm and departs from Aoshima at 415pm.
@@didibryan Yes, thank you. I was trying to make sense of the arrival/departure sign at the beginning, hence my wrong assumption.
No problem!
Just casual B roll footage of that girl eating her onigiri triangle the same way you filmed the cats eating their treats :')
If the JP Gov. set up a house for anyone to live there and take care of the island, the cats, and the residents that are left. I'd love to live peacefully out there. One day I'll go, hopefully soon
There is surely an opportunity to make the world famous Cat Island a tourist attraction. sad to see it going to ruin, although the cats seem happy enough it is a shame they may be the last generation. Arigato, thanks for sharing.
I’m going here in June, any tips? Also is it hard to get there I live In wa. Dose it stink there? And do a lot of the people speak English.
Go early! The boat only runs once a day and has limited seats so if they're full, you're out of luck.
We didn't really notice any strong smells. Can't say whether they spoke English or not sorry since we only spoke Japanese.
@@didibryan thanks I will definitely go a bit early 😁😁👍
So you've got an entire island with less than 24 really old people living there that's about to be abandoned... sounds perfect to set up a private island retreat.
I wonder whether these cats are just a bunch of semi-domesitcated strays as they appear well fed, but not particularly well-groomed.
Seems like a golden opportunity for an entrepreneur, if you can negotiate nothing down for rent until business picks up! I can imagine restoring those buildings into a bed and breakfast with gift shop...
People know about cat island from the stories, even if they haven't visited, but based on how undeveloped things are, I can see why we only saw those initial stories and no followups. It would be a really fun project to calculate how much it would cost to fix things up and keep things running with a few employees and a govt redevelopment grant (not unheard of in Japan).
Perhaps this is just naivete but with automation and alternative energy I think it can be done. You can grow some things on the island with a vertical greenhouse, and for the rest use freezers. Daily sweeping can be aided with robots. Chlorine bleach can be generated with salt and water, and cooking can be done with electric appliances. After the initial cleanup there just needs to be anough revenue to keep things running. A total restoration is not necessary and in addition to being a cat sanctuary / tourist trap it can also serve as a historical site to note how these fishing villages used to be...
I want live in that island
I will miss the cats forever once this island is fully abandoned even though im chinese not japanese 😿
I’m skeptical of their ability to capture all the cats (and prevent any other introductions). Probably it’ll keep being a cat island, even more so if it becomes completely depopulated.
Depending on how many tourists there are the regular ferry service might continue, but even if it doesn’t regular and/chartered tours most certainly will.
And Japan has at least 2 other cat islands besides this one, and tens of thousands of little islands like this one.
If the prospect of no one living on this particular island makes you sad, by all means move to Japan and live there. But the reality is in a country that is so beautiful and interesting, this one fishing island isn’t all that remarkable, comparatively.
I never could visit this Island, I would have to take all the cats with me 🥺