Tashirojima

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Tashirojimacat islandIshinomakicat shrinefishing village

Photo: Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0) · original

Tashirojima rewards patience — the view most people describe isn't the one you get by rushing.

Tashirojima is a small island off Ishinomaki with an ageing population of well under a hundred and a great many cats. That is not an accident: the island's fishermen kept cats to control mice in the silkworm sheds, came to read their behaviour as a forecast for the catch, and built a shrine to them in the middle of the island when one was killed by a falling rock.

The cats are still fed and looked after by residents, and dogs are not permitted on the island. There are two harbours, Ohdomari and Nitoda, a walking route between them, and very little else — a few guesthouses and a shop. It is about forty minutes by boat from Ishinomaki, and it is worth remembering that this is a working community that was badly hit in 2011 rather than an attraction.

Before you go

Access hours

Ferries on the operator's timetable

Closed: Sailings cancelled in rough weather — confirm before travelling

Entry fee

Ferry charged | Island free

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn | Avoid rough winter seas

Time to allow

Half a day including the ferry

Access route

Access notes

Tashiro-hama, Ishinomaki, about 17 km from the city centre. Ferries operated by Ajishima Line run from Ishinomaki to Ohdomari or Nitoda on Tashirojima, taking from the Ishinomaki Chuo landing and from Kadonowaki; from the old Kitakami river mouth landing it is about 45 minutes. Phone for the ferry operator. Dogs are not permitted on the island. A shrine to cats stands in the centre of the island between the two harbours. Facilities are minimal — a few guesthouses and a shop.

Beyond the guidebook

**Do not feed the cats human food.** Residents feed them and there are posted rules. Bringing snacks up from the mainland is discouraged. **No dogs.** The rule is absolute and is enforced at the ferry. **Bring what you need.** One small shop and a few guesthouses on the whole island. There is no convenience store and no cash machine. **Walk between the two harbours.** Ohdomari and Nitoda, with the cat shrine in the middle. That route is the island. **It is a real village.** Population well under a hundred, mostly elderly, and badly hit in 2011. Behave as a guest in someone's home rather than a visitor to an attraction.

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