Japan's Cat Island

What could be better than a garden with felines? How about an island full of both? There are actually several tiny "cat islands" in Japan. The video above shows one that has become a booming tourist destination for day trips to visit kitties. On Aoshima Island, cats outnumber human residents by six-times!

What do you think? Is a trip to these islands on your bucket list?

A Japanese Bobtail, photographed May 1 2003 on the island of Miyajima Japan. Photograph by Toby Woodwark.

See-saw-ing with island cats. Photo by Torne (https://www.flickr.com/photos/_torne/20969198604)

Meditation on the Rake

Sharee Solow submitted this entry from her Japanese-styled Back Garden, Elkins Park, PA

 

 

 

After spending three weeks in Japan completing certification in Japanese garden history, design, installation and maintenance I decided to remove the ground cover plants from this area by my pond and install a stone rake area with the traditional 3 deity stones. KK loves to just lay on the raked stone, sometimes with his head on the lowest Buddisatra, and does not ever dig in it. I wonder if there's some kind of deeper meaning there?

 

Got everything watered again (sorry bout the muddy foot) and attempted to rake my stones but I don't don't know what the Japanese do about the Kitty Kat (aka KK) during this meditation.

 

About the photographer:

Sharee Solow, ASLA, PCH

www.SLSolowHorticulturalDesigns.com