In recent years, Tashirojima, one of Japan’s many cat islands, has gained popularity among foreigners visiting and living in Japan. So much so, that there’s a wealth of content featuring the small island—from blog posts and YouTube videos to reviews on TripAdvisor and Google Maps. Along with the popularity, however, comes an outdated, rather harmful piece of advice: bring cat food with you when you visit the island so that the cats come to you. This is a big no-no.
Tashirojima: More Cats than People
Japan has several “cat islands” (nekojima), where cats outnumber people. A common characteristic among these islands is that the cats are friendly and seek affection from humans, and we have the island’s fishermen to thank for that. Because these cats get their food from local fishermen, they’ve become accustomed to humans.
Among these cat islands, Tashirojima is popular for its easy access from Sendai City. There are several boats sailing from Ishinomaki Port, which makes the island an easy day trip from Sendai. Exploring the island is also easy to do, as you can cover its length on foot in around 25-30 minutes.
Attractions on Tashirojima
Below are the main attractions you can see on the island.
Cat Shrine
This small shrine shows the islanders’ dedication to its feline inhabitants. The shrine was apparently built to honor a cat that was killed in an accident. Today, it’s full of cat trinkets. You can also find cat photos, presumably left by fur parents who want to honor the life of their pets.
Nyanko Kyowakoku Shima no Eki
You will most likely find the most cats in this island cafe. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, and the cats just laze about waiting for food. The owners have also set up cardboard boxes for them, so you will spot a lot of cats curled up and having a snooze. Many of the cats here approach people. All you really need to do is sit down in one spot and they’ll come asking for a bit of affection or playtime.
Manga Ai-Land
If you want to stay on the island, this campground is a good option, not to mention cute. Operated by the city council, the camp features cat-shaped cabins that can accommodate five to six people. It includes bedding, a kitchen, and a shower, and for ¥8-9,000 a night, it isn’t such a bad deal. You also have the option to bring your own tent for ¥1,500/night or rent on-site for an additional ¥1,500.
Kuronekodo
This small cafe is located near Nitoda Port. Its main draw is the cat curry. No, they do not make curry out of cats, but rather, the rice that the curry is served with is shaped like a cat’s face. And for only ¥600, too!
Why You Shouldn’t Feed the Cats
The island requests visitors not to feed Tashirojima’s stray cats as overfeeding leads to health problems. When you visit the island, you will many signs and posters saying so, in several different languages.
The cats of Tashirojima naturally come to people even without food, so you don’t really need to lure them with treats. If you truly love cats and are concerned about their well-being first and foremost, please heed the island’s request. At the end of the day, which would you rather be? A pretty damn cool responsible and sustainable traveler? Or a nuisance who doesn’t mind wreaking havoc for a few petty likes?
Tashirojima Video
How to Get to Tashirojima
To get to Tashirohima, you will need to board the Ajishima Line (網地島ライン) ferry, which stops at Tashirojima on its way to Ajishima.
The Ajishima Line departs from two ports in Ishinomaki, Chuo (中央) and Kadonowaki (門脇). Chuo is closer to Ishinomaki Station and is accessible via a 13-minute walk or a short bus ride.
As of writing, there are only three ferries departing from Ishinomaki per day: 9:00, 12:30, and 15:00. Half a day is enough to explore the island, so I recommend taking either the 9:00 or 12:30 boat. You can stay in Ishinomaki the night before to secure the earliest ferry, but personally, I opted to stay in Sendai. Ishinomaki is only 1-1.5 hours away, so if you wake up early, it’s possible to ride the train and board the first ferry out.
Tashirojima has two ports Odomari (大泊) and Nitoda (仁斗田). The ferry stops at Odomari first, so you can alight here, explore the island, and then board the ferry from Nitoda to go back to Ishinomaki. The boarding times for these two ports are different, so make sure to check the time schedule.
