There is a very sparsely populated island in Japan, which consists of only two small villages. This island is called Tashiro and belongs to Miyagi Prefecture. Tashiro Island is famous for the fact that the number of cats here exceeds the number of people by 4 times.
It is no coincidence that cats appeared on the island. Local residents, who, by the way, used to be over 1000 people, have long been engaged in silkworm breeding. For their occupation, they needed to grow a sufficient number of silkworms. Well, these worms are a delicacy for rodents: rats and mice. In order to prevent small pests from eating silkworms, people began to have cats.
From the very beginning, people treated cats very carefully and even with special respect. First, they were not domesticated, but left in their natural habitat. Secondly, they were always well fed. Thirdly, about ten temples and more than fifty monuments were built in their honor.
One of the sanctuaries appeared on Tashiro Island after local fishermen inadvertently killed one of the cats. They collected stones to anchor their fishing nets. One of the stones accidentally hooked a cat, she died. The fishermen not only buried the cat with all due honors, but also established a sanctuary in her honor. You can visit it today.
Local residents sincerely believe that cats are sacred animals that not only protect from rodents, but also attract material wealth and good luck into life, protect from various troubles and misfortunes. Fishermen believe that cats are able to predict the weather and even a good catch.
However, at the same time, the few inhabitants of the island of Tashiro can hardly be called rich people. Young people try to leave the island as soon as possible in order to find a more promising place to live and work. The average age of the island population is 71 years. Tourism is another lucrative occupation besides fishing on the island.
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Thanks to the press and the Internet, Tashiro Island has gained worldwide fame. Now tourists from different parts of the world come here to see this amazing tourist attraction. For those who decide to visit Japanese Cat Island, there are some rules. Firstly, it is strictly forbidden to sail to the island with dogs. Secondly, there are restrictions on feeding cats. Thirdly, the rules for their photography have been established.
But those who manage to visit this unusual island have the opportunity to spend time with its four-legged owners. Moreover, as travelers note, local cats are very friendly, sociable and even photogenic. They gladly take treats from tourists and pose for them. There are also those who believe that communication with cats on the island heals and harmonizes.
And not only ordinary tourists, but also scientists come to the conclusion that cats have the ability to treat people for various ailments. There is even a special method for the prevention and treatment of diseases based on communication with cats. It is called felinotherapy. Cat and cat owners live on average 5-7 years longer, they have stronger immunity, lower cholesterol levels and stable blood pressure. It is also believed that feline therapy helps to fight depression, stress, insomnia.
