Cat Island of Tashirojima in Japan
If there’s ever going to be a LOLcats movie, there can only be one filming location: Tashirojima, Japan — or, as the web more popularly calls it, Cat Island.
Tashirojima is a small island off the coast of the Oshika Peninsula in eastern Japan that is inhabited by approximately one hundred people and one too many cats. The large stray cat population was the result of a local belief that wealth and good fortune come to those who feed and care for cats. Their reverence for cats extend to the law which bans all dogs from the island. Also, veterinarians visit them regularly for health check-ups. They also have numerous cat shrines and monuments scattered all over the island as well as the other surrounding islands.
In the 1950’s, Tashirojima had around 1,000 inhabitants. Now it has decreased to a meager 100. On top of that, more than 80% of the residents is above 70 years of age. Since more than half of the population is beyond 65 years of age, the island is threatened for survival. Well, in human terms, of course. We can never tell if this is in fact part of a feline plot to take over the island. Manipulating the elderly, spreading diseases, demanding worship — all attained through one powerful weapon: irresistible cuteness.
