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ISHINOMAKI, Miyagi — TASHIROJIMA, Japan (AP) — On a small island off Japan's northeastern coast, visitors make offerings at a shrine for unlikely local guardians: cats. The "Neko Jinja," or Cat Shrine ...

A former “stationmaster cat” in a rural Japanese town has recently been appointed “chief priest” of a shrine in Kinokawa in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture. Nitama, who gained international attention for ...

TASHIROJIMA, Japan — On a small island off Japan's northeastern coast, visitors make offerings at a shrine for unlikely local guardians: cats. The "Neko Jinja," or Cat Shrine, mythologizes cats as ...

Hidden in the depths of northern Kyoto is a magical place that is sure to be a hit among cat lovers. In fact, visitors might even feel a little bit spiritual after making their way to the entrance, ...

A shrine in Japan's Tokushima Prefecture has about 10,000 beckoning cats on its grounds, drawing in not only cat lovers, but many students hoping to pass their exams. What blessings does the shrine ...

On a small island off Japan's northeastern coast, visitors make offerings at a shrine for unlikely local guardians: cats. The "Neko Jinja," or Cat Shrine, mythologizes cats as guardian angels of ...

Perhaps surprisingly, fewer than 10% of the 6,852 islands making up the Japanese archipelago are inhabited. But among those 400 or so, travelers are treated to a rich tapestry of natural treasures, ...

The Japanese sure love their feline friends. — -- Meow! Today is the 30th anniversary of National Cat Day in Japan. Cat lovers across the country are posting photos of their feline friends on ...