• Tashirojima (Japanese: 田代島) is a small island in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. It lies in the Pacific Ocean off the Oshika Peninsula, to the north of Aji Island.
  • Today, Tashirojima attracts visitors from all over the world as an island where cats and humans coexist (kyōzon) harmoniously.
  • The cats of Tashirojima gained superstardom with the release of Fuji Terebi’s film Nyanko the Movie, starring a cat named Droopy-Eared Jack who lives on the island.
  • First used as a penal colony during the Edo period (1603 – 1868), Tashirojima became a silk production site in the beginning of the Meiji Era (1868 - 1912).
  • Cat lovers from all around come to visit Tashirojima, which requires taking a one hour long ferry ride from central Ishinomaki.
  • Tashirojima (田代島) is a small island and belongs to Ishinomaki City in Miyagi Prefecture.
  • Though Tashirojima has a few Ryokans (Japanese Inns), Manga Island is the place to reserve a place to stay.
  • Today, the cats of Tashirojima have become one of the island’s main attractions, drawing in visitors who eagerly seek to play and interact with these friendly felines.
  • While Japan has a few different cat islands, Tashirojima is the easiest to reach from Tokyo as it’s located in the Tohoku region.