Best Cat Islands in Japan 日本的猫岛
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Can you imagine that there’re some islands in Japan with more cat than humans? Japan is known for the cute, and what could be cuter than cat and kitten? These are some of the most famous cat islands in Japan.
你能想象在日本有些岛屿上的猫比人还多吗？日本以可爱著称，还有什么比猫和小猫更可爱呢？这些是日本最著名的猫岛。
Aoshima 青岛
Aoshima might be the most famous cat island in Japan. Its nickname “Cat Island” is no exaggeration because there are only 15-20 residents on the island but more than 120 cats, about 6 times the human population! The island is 1.6 km long located in the Ehime Prefecture of southern Japan. Cats were originally introduced on ships because the fisherman had to deal with a rodent problem. But the cats then remained on the island and reproduced, thus the population increasing almost exponentially. However, Aoshima Island is not a tourist spot. There’re no cars, hotels, restaurants, or even vending machines on the island. Residents there are mostly elders. They won’t turn away the visitors who want to get close to the cats, but make sure not to disturb the residents if you visit the island, do not feed the cats because they are fed by the residents every day. It’s not a spot with convenient transportation as only two rounds of ferries go to the island per day.
青岛可能是日本最著名的猫岛。它的绰号“猫岛”并不夸张，因为岛上只有15-20个居民，但有120多只猫，大约是人类的6倍！该岛位于日本南部的爱河县，长1.6公里。猫最初是在船上引进的，因为渔夫必须处理啮齿动物的问题。但这些猫随后留在岛上繁殖，因此数量几乎呈指数增长。可是青岛并不是旅游胜地。岛上没有汽车、旅馆、餐馆，甚至没有自动售货机。那里的居民大多是老人。他们不会拒绝那些想接近猫的游客，但是如果你去岛上游玩，一定不要打扰居民，也不要喂猫，因为猫每天都是由居民喂养的。这也不是一个交通便利的地方，因为每天只有两轮渡轮去岛上。
Tashiro-jima Island 田代岛
Tashiro-jima or Tashirojima island is another famous Cat Island in Japan. The population of the island is very small (about 100 people), but there are more than 100 cats on the island. The people used to raise silkworms on the island and their silk would naturally attract mice. The introduction of cats in the island would help the industry. The role of cats is to keep the number of mice to a minimum. Locals who have been fishing for many years also believe that raising cats can bring wealth and good luck.
田代岛是日本另一个著名的猫岛。岛上的人口很小（大约100人），但岛上有100多只猫。岛上以前养蚕，蚕的丝自然会吸引老鼠，猫的引入在该岛有助于个产业，猫的作用是把老鼠的数量控制在最低限度。多年从事渔业的当地人也相信，养猫能带来财富和好运。
Most people there take good care of the cat, which became a mascot on the island. Because of this, dogs are not allowed on this island, so this island is actually a "Cat Island". In the center of the island, there is a cat Temple named Neko Jinja, located between two villages, dedicated to cats who died of falling stones.
那里的大多数人对猫照顾得很好，猫成了岛上的一种吉祥物。正因为如此，这个岛上不允许养宠物狗，所以这个岛实际上是一个“猫岛”。在岛的中心，有一个名为Neko jinja的猫圣殿，位于两个村庄之间，专门供奉因落石而死的猫。
Enoshima
Enoshima is a destination much easier to access for all the cat lovers out there. It is a small offshore island located in the Southwest of Tokyo and is the closest cat island near Tokyo, about 4 km in circumference in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It’s also a popular leisure spot for surfing, sunbathing and swimming in summer. When the weather is fine, you might be able to see Mt. Fuji from there. The cat population has increased since 1980. Originally, most of these cats were left abandoned here, but they are now cared for by residents and visitors, as locally and communally owned cats. Because of this, they are very accustomed to people. They don't run away, some of them even approach and look at the people, or investigate to see if you come bearing snacks.
对于所有爱猫的人来说，伊诺希马是一个更容易到达的目的地。它是位于东京西南部的一个近海小岛，是距离东京最近的猫岛，位于日本神奈川县，周长约4公里。它也是夏季冲浪、日光浴和游泳的热门休闲场所。天气好的时候，你可以从那里看到富士山。猫的数量自1980年以来一直在增加。最初，这些猫大多被遗弃在这里，但现在它们作为当地和社区所有的猫，由居民和游客照料。正因为如此，它们不怕人。一般看人不会逃跑，有的甚至会走近看人，或者调查你是不是带着零食来的。
Manabeshima
Manabeshima is a relatively small island located in kasaoka City, Okayama Prefecture. It's about two and a half hours from kasaoka station to manabeshima, about 19 miles off the coast of Honshu. It takes a train and ferry to get to the island. Originally a small island with a population of less than 300, it became more attractive when a famous French artist introduced it through a book. However, Manabeshima or Manabe island is also known as the island inhabited by cats. A peaceful living Island creates a peaceful life for the cats. Tourists will see cats wherever they go. In fact, there may be more cats than people!
Manabeshima是一个比较小的岛屿，位于冈山县的Kasaoka市。从Kasaoka站到Manabeshima大约有两个半小时的路程，距离本州海岸大约19英里。这需要乘火车和渡船才能到达这个岛。原本是一个人口不到300人的小岛，当一位法国著名艺术家通过一本书介绍这个小岛时，它变得更加引人注目。然而，Manabeshima岛或马纳贝岛（Manabe Island）还是被称为猫居住的岛屿。一个宁静的居住小岛为猫创造了一个宁静的生活。游客无论到哪里都会受到会看到猫，事实上，猫可能比人还多！
Okishima Island
Okishima Island is located in Lake Biwa (Biwako), Shiga Prefecture. Lake Biwa is considered the third oldest lake in the world. Lake Biwa has a high biodiversity with over 1,000 different kinds of animals and plants. It is also believed that the cats here are unique to other cats around the world. In addition, the scenery of the inner sea of Lake Biwa is also another highlight of Okishima Island that people tend to fall in love with. Also, many people in Okishima Island try to preserve their way of life and tend to travel by foot and bicycle only.
Okishima岛位于滋贺县琵琶湖。琵琶湖被认为是世界上第三古老的湖。琵琶湖生物多样性高，有1000多种动植物。人们还相信这里的猫跟世界上其他猫不一样。此外，琵琶湖内海的景色也是大岛的另一个亮点，人们往往会爱上它。还有，Okishima岛上的许多人试图保持他们简单的生活方式，往往只步行和骑自行车旅行。
Muzukijima Island 睦月岛
Muzukijima Island is famous for its oranges. The oranges from this island are regarded as one of the best oranges in Japan. There is a 15-kilometer sightseeing road around this island called, “Muzuki Skyline”. In addition to the orange farm, there are also orange-colored cats that fit the concept of Mukuzijima Island very well.
睦月岛以橘子闻名。这个岛上的桔子被认为是日本最好的桔子之一。在这个岛的周围有一条15公里长的观光路，叫做“睦月天际线”。除了橘色的农场，还有橘色的猫科动物非常符合睦月岛的概念。
Do you know any other place that should make it in this list? Let us know by leaving a comment below. See you on another post!
你知道的还有别的地方值得列入这个名单吗？请在下面留言告知我们。下文章再见！
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