Aoshima Island, Shikoku Archipelago

It is world-famous for being the island of cats - some 130 felines live there compared to only 13 human inhabitants - and is located off the Seto Inland Sea in southern Japan. At one time, Aoshima was the landing point for several fishing boats and home to a community of sailors, who introduced cats to the island to chase away rats attracted to the fish. Today, it can be reached by ferry from Nagahamako harbour (even in a camper van) and is one of the most interesting stops in the entire Shikoku archipelago, where the main attractions are historical castles (Matsuyama's being the most prestigious), ancient Japanese thermal baths and Buddhist temples with unique architecture.