Photographing The Cats of Ikeshima Island. Life Amongst Japan's Forgotten Coal Island, Turned Cat Haven.

Off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture lies Ikeshima, a tiny island less than a square kilometre in size.

Once a bustling coal-mining hub with over 8,000 residents, today it stands as one of Japan’s modern ghost islands. When the mine closed in 2001, almost everyone left. Today, fewer than 100 residents, mostly retired miners still call Ikeshima home.

A Living Ghost Town

Getting off the boat at the tiny port and walking a few hundred metres, the first thing that struck us was the quiet. No vending machines humming, no neon buzz, just the sounds of the wind, the sea and the occasional cat meow. And there were so many cats. It's as if they've slowly inherited the island, darting through overgrown alleyways, and padding calmly across the cracked concrete of what used to be busy streets.

We spent about five hours wandering the island, and it was truly one of the most surreal and cool experiences. Time has slowed here, yet the cats seem to thrive, giving the island an oddly gentle pulse of life.

As we explored, we passed remnants of the once-thriving mining community, apartment blocks slowly being reclaimed by vegetation, rusting bicycles frozen in time, and signs that still bore the optimism of a very different era.

Photographing Cats Among Ruins

For a photographer, Ikeshima is a surreal canvas. Rusted doors frame a lounging tabby, a ginger cat weaves through weeds that have overtaken an old schoolyard, a sleek black cat poses against the faded optimism of a long-forgotten sign. Each shot felt like capturing the spirit of the island itself: resilience, mystery, and quiet survival.

Meeting the Locals

We did bump into a couple of locals who looked more than a little surprised to see foreign visitors! While engagement was a bit challenging with our Japanese being patchy at best and their English was virtually nonexistent - the initial surprise quickly gave way to warm smiles and animated gestures. Despite the language barrier, they seemed genuinely delighted by our presence.

Wildlife Encounters

Besides the cats and birdsong, we had one particularly unforgettable wildlife encounter. As we made our way back to the port, basking in the eerie charm of the island, we were stunned to find a large gold-colored snake sunbaking right in the middle of the road. I honestly didn’t expect to see snakes here — I’m not entirely sure why, so stumbling across a large, gold-colored one sunbaking on the road definitely caught me off guard. Looking back, I couldn’t help but think about the couple of times earlier in the day when I’d taken shortcuts through thick, overgrown footpaths... in sandals! Let’s just say, the surprise encounter gave me a bit of a delayed shiver and a new appreciation for closed-toe shoes.

In classic Aussie fashion, we went into full warning mode when we spotted a local approaching from behind. We frantically were shouting "Sumimasen!" over and over, trying to warn him. But his eyes were on the sky, thinking we were showing him something up there, before we could stop him, he walked right over the snake. We stood frozen, sure we’d be rushing to administer our Aussie snakebite first aid. But no. The man just shrugged it off, and the snake quickly took off in the long grass. Whether by experience or pure luck, the whole episode passed like something out of a movie.

Sarah later said she had this flash of us trying to explain to a Japanese medic how we let a pensioner get bitten by a snake while we stood around yelling in broken Japanese. Thankfully, that story remained firmly in the realm of imagination.

Final Reflections

Ikeshima is haunting yet beautiful. Its history lingers in every crumbling wall, yet the cats have turned its quiet decay into something softer, even comforting. Photographing them among the ruins was a reminder of how animals adapt, how they inherit spaces we leave behind, and how beauty often hides in forgotten corners of the world.

If you ever find yourself near Nagasaki with a taste for off-the-beaten-path adventures, Ikeshima is worth the ferry ride. Just remember: bring your camera, respect the locals — both human and feline — and maybe wear closed shoes! Just keep an eye out for golden snakes.