Shrine Honors Cats on Japan's Tashirojima Island
On a small island off Japan's northeastern coast, visitors make offerings at a shrine for unusual local guardians: cats.
At the Neko Jinja, or Cat Shrine, cats are seen as the guardians of the island of Tashirojima, where there are actually more cats than people.
Legend says the island used to be famous for its silkworms and farmers would keep cats because they protected the silkworms by chasing rats.
Another legend says fishermen used to watch the cats' behavior for signs of the coming weather before going out to sea.
Fishermen on the island have also traditionally believed that cats bring good luck, and have cared for and protected them.
In keeping with this tradition, the islanders built a small shrine on the island to honor a cat that was accidentally killed by a falling rock.
Tashirojima is less than an hour by ferry from the city of Ishinomaki in Miyagi prefecture in Japan's northeastern Tohoku region.
Over 100 cats live on Tashirojima, along with about 50 people, according to the city's website — and no dogs are allowed on the island.
Along a road running about 2 kilometers between the island's two ports, cats groom themselves and mix with each other.
There are a few cafes and inns, but no car rental shops, gas stations or public transport. Tourists are expected to walk up and down the island's hills while visiting.
Most of the cats are used to tourists, who can be seen petting the friendly animals all around the island.
