There are several cat islands in the Seto Inland Sea. DouDou has previously visited the famous Aoshima, and this time she came to Sagyo Island in Kagawa Prefecture. Though not as well-known as Aoshima, if you’ve been following cat-related info, there's a place in Japan known for its leaping cats—and that’s where these scenes were filmed.
To get to Sagyo Island, the first stop is Tadotsu, where most limited express trains make a stop.
It’s about a 25-30 minute walk from the station to the pier, though you can also take a taxi. But DouDou chose to walk.
The ferry to Sagyo Island will always stop at Takami Island first. Sagyo Island has two docking points: Sagyo Honoura and Sagyo Nagasaki. Both have cats, so you can go to either, but for tourists, the ferry schedule to Sagyo Nagasaki isn’t very convenient, so most don’t go there.
A one-way trip to Sagyo Honoura costs 680 yen. If you go to Takami Island first and then continue to Sagyo Honoura, it’s an additional 1,000 yen.
After about an hour on the boat, you’ll arrive at cat island – Sagyo Island. As you disembark, these guys will come to greet you… looking all cool. I doubt they’re here to welcome me.Seemingly here to intimidate me.
Then I checked the map. As mentioned before, Sagyo Island has two areas—Honoura and Nagasaki—about a 30-45 minute walk apart.
The waiting room at the pier is where you can find other related information, and the restroom is nearby.
And then comes the highlight—cats!! Though not as many as on Aoshima, there are still quite a few—around 30-50. However, feeding them is discouraged here, so…Please do not feed them.Just play with the cats instead.
So chubby and super cute!!
These cats look so majestic, haha.
Hey cat, what are you looking at!? Don’t stare!! =_=
Even the tongue-out cats are adorable.
Sagyo Island is super windy and thus quite cold, but the cats come over to warm up on their own. Cat lovers, rejoice.
Then we went to shoot the spot for the leaping cats. They seem used to jumping around here—just give them a little nudge and you can easily snap a shot. But DouDou isn’t good at action shots, such a waste.
The cat shows off its sleek legs, haha.
Around noon, we walked to Nagasaki. It was super windy there.
The pier at Sagyo Nagasaki has a hand-painted anime character float.
The waiting room at the pier. There’s no restroom here.
Both Sagyo Honoura and Nagasaki have cats, but there aren’t as many as at Honoura.
The cats here are all pretty fierce, meowing when you get close. But cat lovers love that.Truly a cat lover.
We wandered around Nagasaki for a bit but didn’t find anything special, so we headed back to Honoura. The cats curiously looked our way when they saw people, but showed zero interest in food.
With some time left, we went elsewhere to kill time and spotted a sign pointing to a scenic spot. Naturally, as someone who loves heights, I went up to check it out.
This is the Daitenjin Shrine, with the Okunoin located just a bit further inside.
The view of Uwajima and the Seto Inland Sea is quite nice here — it’s a peaceful and tranquil little island.
After that, we went back down to continue playing with the cats and taking more photos.
Normally, the waiting area doesn’t allow cats inside, but when the ferry is about to arrive, ticket sellers show up and the door is left open.
We had a delightful day with the cats, and Cat Lover DouDou was very happy. Just be aware that the wind is quite strong here, so it’s advisable to wear windproof clothing. There are restrooms here, but no vending machines or shops, so you’ll need to bring your own lunch and remember to take your trash with you.
Introduction to Sagishima Island (Japanese)?
http://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/chiiki/seto-island/detail/sanagijima/
Sanyo Ferry (Tadotsu ~ Sagishima) timetable?
http://www.sanyo-kisen.com/company13.html
Sanyo Ferry (Tadotsu ~ Sagishima) fares?
http://www.sanyo-kisen.com/product111.html
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Having traveled to over 30 countries/regions, lived in Taiwan for a year and a half, explored all 19 counties and cities, spent months traveling and living in Japan, covering all 47 prefectures, and experienced two months of aurora chasing through a work exchange in Canada. Enjoys off-the-beaten-path destinations. Travel articles have been published on 永安旅游 (Eternal Peace Travel), U blog, DC fever, likeJapan, now.com, and 旅行吧！Travel Bar. Open to various forms of collaboration.