Japan’s ‘cat island’ falls victim to demographic crisis

Famous for felines that outnumber its humans, Aoshima is also emblematic of a deeper trend afflicting the country’s rural and island communities

The reason for Aoshima’s nickname was clear before we had set foot on the island. As our tiny vessel slowed to a halt and its handful of passengers prepared to disembark, the quayside was alive with orangey-white blurs – a whiskered welcome party that forms as soon as its members hear the hum of an approaching motor.

The only human here to greet us is Naoko Kamimoto, appropriately dressed in a pinafore with feline designs, who secures the boat with a rope as half a dozen cats swirl around her feet.

Cats lazing in the sun among the Kamimoto’s fishing nets.

Topics

Investigators Using Video Surveillance to Identify Subway Burn Victim

The Brooklyn district attorney said the police were trying to retrace the woman’s steps to find a clear picture of her face. The man accused of killing her has been indicted on a first-degree ...
The New York Times - 4h
Indonesia remembers tsunami victims on 20th anniversary of disaster

Yahoo News - 1d
New York Subway Burning Highlights Difficulty of Identifying Homeless Victims

It can be challenging to identify the bodies of people who were homeless when they died. For a woman killed Sunday on an F train, the circumstances of her death could make it even harder.
The New York Times - 2d
Marriott in pact to introduce Ritz-Carlton to Xiamen Island in Fujian Province

Yahoo News - 3d
Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Erupts on Big Island

Scientists said that the main hazard from the eruption on Monday was increased levels of volcanic gas.
The New York Times - 3d
WATCH: Kilauea volcano erupts on Hawaii’s Big Island

Scientists are monitoring air quality after Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupted early Monday, sending plumes of smoke and lava into the sky.
ABC News - 4d
Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island, one of world’s most active volcanoes, erupts

Eruption was confined to volcano’s summit caldera, with torrents of red-hot lava and cloud-line plumes of gas visible. Red torrents of lava and billows of volcanic gas began erupting from Kilauea ...
The Guardian - 4d
Mauritius says talks with UK over Chagos Islands are stuck over money

The deputy PM said the UK was "quibbling" over the sum to be handed over to Mauritius.
BBC News - 4d
In Japan, a Fan Is Part of Everyday Life

Ninety percent of paddle-style fans, called uchiwa, are made in the island city of Marugame.
The New York Times - Dec. 13