Welcome to the Japanese island where cats are king

This is Aoshima, a remote island off southern Japan, home to a sleepy fishing village, a handful of elderly residents...

...and 120 cats.

Welcome, to Cat Island.

The island has become something of a tourist destination for mainland cat lovers - not surprising from the home of Hello Kitty.

The cats have taken over Aoshima since originally being brought in to deal with a mouse problem, and only around 10 are thought to have been neutered, while a population of 900 in 1945 has almost completed dwindled due to the pull of cities.

Visitor Makiko Yamasaki, 27, said: "There is a ton of cats here, then there was this sort of cat witch who came out to feed the cats which was quite fun. So I'd want to come again."

(Pictures: Reuters/Thomas Peter)

More: [This hero has turned his house into a cat playground]1

More: [In celebration of world cat day, here are the best cats on the internet]2