The Island Of Cats
We know it, cats have a mysterious air, little deities that enjoy being admired and endowed with attention. You may have a copy in your home, that faithful companion who lives quietly by your sofa waiting for the sun to shine, keeping you company and always looking for your closeness to alleviate your worries … in his own way.
In Japan, the admiration that cats reach already reaches a higher level. Japanese traditional beliefs consider felines as animals that attract good luck. They are respected, loved and admired … so it is not surprising that there is an entire island dedicated exclusively to them to worship them.
GOOD LUCK SYMBOLS
Indeed, cats are the representation of good fortune, happiness and abundance. For the Japanese they are truly special beings. Hence, for example, that in large cities more and more spaces dedicated to them are being developed. Care and leisure centers where people can go whenever they want to spend a moment with the admired cats . The Japanese tend to have very intense working hours, their lives are very work-oriented, and their homes are too tiny spaces to allow themselves to have a pet and take proper responsibility for it.
These centers are therefore raised as an instant of personal relief. An instant of time to caress, play and feed the little felines. It seems somewhat sad, no doubt, but each society structures its life in a way, and it is usual that there is always some kind of deficiency, of needs. Stroking a cat, feeling close to them, can be an instant for the Japanese that is worth paying to forget their worries.
TASHIRO, THE ISLAND OF CATS
Tashirojima, is a small island of Miyagi. There are barely 100 people living there who treat, care for and care for cats as if they were true gods. In the past, this small island was exclusively dedicated to the breeding of silkworms, a fact that little by little, led to the appearance of an epidemic of rats.
To control the plague, the inhabitants of the island began to bring cats. First two, then five, ten … the rat infestation disappeared and the island suddenly became a true paradise for cats. Nobody was bothered, on the contrary, it was a hallmark of good luck.
The people of Tashirojima fed and cared for the cats with total devotion. So much so that the news that there was an island full of hundreds of cats immediately attracted the attention of the rest of the country. It didn’t take long for tourists to arrive, boats full of people eager to surround themselves and see all those felines in person.
The admiration was so great that no one doubted the need to raise a sanctuary to worship them, thus becoming one of the favorite destinations of the Nipponese. There where you can relax, walk and let yourself be enveloped by the serene calm and the complicity of the cats of the island of Tashirojima.
It may catch your attention and it may even seem strange to you. But each culture lives its beliefs and needs in a particular way. Rarities that little by little are also spreading in the West, since there are already many places that are opening in Europe where one can, for example, have a coffee accompanied by a couple of cats looking for the refuge of your lap. Nothing simpler and more comforting for many people. Maybe for you too.
