In Japan, the island of Tashiro is still recovering from the devastating earthquake and tsunami a year ago. But thanks to the local cat population, people from across the country have been donating to a special fund to help those living there. Known locally as "Cat Island," Tashiro is home to twice as many felines as humans. This may sound surprising but it makes perfect sense as the main industry here is fishing and oyster farming. Miraculously just one person was declared missing after the disaster from a population of sixty. But everyone was deeply affected by the catastrophe. Fishing resumed here as early as last July. The Tashiro islanders have lived alongside cats for as long as they can remember. Over the years, the cats have become a good luck charm and the focus of a shrine on the island.

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake and tsunami, people from across Japan were moved by the story of 'Cat Island' and donated millions of yen to the islanders. The fund is lovingly called the "The Meow Project". Yutaka Hama, Tashiro Islander, said, "We support each other here in this island but most of all, we're grateful to the cats and to the people who have supported us from afar. People's thoughts were very heartwarming." On top of the hill of Tashiro island, cat-shaped lodges overlook the Sea of Japan where a year ago huge waves had soaked the coasts and islands of the area. The cat lodge will re-open in May. The "meow" fund donations remain untouched as residents have yet to decide what to do with the money and how to spread it out.

相關(guān)中文報道

被人們昵稱為“貓島”的田代島位于日本宮城縣東南方向的海上，小島面積只有2.7平方公里，居民數(shù)量還不到100人，卻是名副其實的貓咪的天堂，兩倍于人類數(shù)量的貓咪在田代島樂享生活，人與貓和諧共處、與世無爭，宛如走進現(xiàn)實版桃花源。然而，2011年3月11日日本里氏9.0級大地震并引發(fā)的海嘯也讓“貓島”遭受嚴重打擊，甚至一度傳出“貓島”不復(fù)存在的噩耗，牽動了無數(shù)人的心。

事實上，雖然“貓島”并沒有被巨浪吞噬，但經(jīng)歷了那場災(zāi)難已經(jīng)是滿身傷痕。據(jù)報道一名居民在災(zāi)難中失蹤，無數(shù)只貓咪下落不明。更給當(dāng)?shù)厝松a(chǎn)生活蒙上陰影的是地震影響了漁業(yè)和海產(chǎn)業(yè)，之前人們把捕來的魚喂給島上的貓咪吃，現(xiàn)在只能喂給它們貓糧。不過，“貓島”上的居民并沒有放棄家園，他們建立了一個“喵喵基金會”（The Meow Project），從社會各界募集善款重建家園，目前已經(jīng)收到大約1億5000萬日元，這些錢將用于重新發(fā)展?jié)O業(yè)，修復(fù)貓咪神社和貓咪窩棚等。

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