How to get to Tashiro-jima(Cat island)

First, Go to Sendai.

There is Tashiro jima in Miyagi Prefecture as a famous cat island. And to get there, take a train from Sendai station to Ishinomaki station, then take a boat to Tashiro-jima. I’d like to write about the itinerary here.

Due to the boat, if you want to stay for about 6 hrs in the island, it is good to go to the island early in the morning from Sendai. Or you can stay in Tashiro-jima or Ishinomaki.

I’m writing about schedule which is staying in Sendai before day and departing there in early morning.

I have been to Sendai by car before. It took for a long time and I thought Sendai is far from Tokyo. However, if you take the Shinkansen, you can reach Sendai from Tokyo in just 2 hours, so that it’s surprisingly easy to access and it’s fast.

If you buy fortunately a ticket as “Osakinitokudane” before, you can get the ticket cheaper than 50%.

However, the system is like a raffle and I got a e-mail I lost the raffle after one week and I have to buy a ticket as regular fee.

Since the typhoon was approaching Japan, heavy rain continued from the night before departure and even in the morning the rain and wind were strong.

I bought the ticket as regular fee by the Internet, so I was able to change departure time to afternoon. It can be changed until before departure time. In case of purchasing discount ticket by “Osakinitokudane”, it is impossible to change schedule.

I was impressed to change it easily and I thought that’s cool and amazing Shinkansen. Tohoku-Shinkansen I was going to get on was jointed to Yamagata-Shinkansen and there was a sign as Yamagata-Shinkansen, so that I was confused a little bit. But actually, I just needed to wait for Shinkasen at the car number on the platform which written on the ticket.

The Tohoku-Shinkansen arrived at Omiya Station from Ueno Station, then ran to Sendai Station without stop.

The scenery continue mountain and paddy fields between Omiya and Sendai. When approaching Sendai city, it changed to tall buildings, then Shinkansen arrived at Sendai station on time.

It just took 1 hour and 58 minutes.

I checked in a hotel far from about 10 minutes from the station and I leaved for Tashiro jima in the next morning.

How to get to Tashiro jima.

When getting on JR Senseki Tohoku Line Rapid, there are 10 stops and it takes 55 minutes, when getting on JR Senseki Line(local traon), there are 30 stops and it takes 84 minutes.

When I checked time schedule of JR considering the time of the boat to the island which was 9 o’clock, there was a rapid line departing from Sendai Station at 07:24 and arriving at Ishinomaki Station at 08:19.

That’s why I got up early in the morning and left the hotel near Sendai Station.

I bought lunchbox which called “Eki-ben” at “Matsuri Sendai store”on the third floor of Sendai Station at 07:10.

At 07:24, departing at Sendai Station.

At 08:19, arriving at Ishinomaki Station. Ishinomori-production’s characters welcomes me.

At first, I waited for a bus to a pier, but I was not sure this was the bus stop to go there. I changed mind to go to the pier by walk. As per Google map, it takes 15 minutes.

At 08:31, Cyborg 009 installed near Ishinomaki Station in the town. There are many characters of Ishinomori-production in the town, so that I enjoyed to walk the town to the pier.

At 08:47, near the central pier of Aji-shima line and it takes about 2 minutes to the pier.

At 08:50, Purchase a boat ticket which costs 2,500 Yen for a round trip at the vending machine at the ticket office on the first floor in a newly built condominium.

At 09:10, The boat departed. Since the next day after the typhoon passed, the waves near the mouse of river was high and the departure time was delayed about 10 mins from the scheduled time.

At 09:45, Arriving at the pier of Nitoda in Tashiro-jima.

There are two piers in the island, another one is the pier of Oodomari, however, there is few cats near the pier and there is an only way to the island by a slope with a high angle, thus I recommend to get off the boat at the pier of Nitoda.

The cat time.

At 13:15 Lunch time with purchasing lunchbox of beef in Ekiben-store of Sendai Station.

At 13:40, departed from the pier of Nitoda.

At 14:40, arriving at the pier of Aji sima line

At 14:50, shopping at “Ishinomaki Genki Ichiba” like local market near the pier. There are many vegetables, seafoods and goods related to Ishinomaki and there is a restaurant on 2nd floor.

At 15:32, arriving at Ishinomaki Station.

At 15:54, departing at Ishinomaki Station.

At 16:53, arriving at Sendai Station.

Summary

Time Schedule

I had a day trip to Tashiro jima. I had a good time the island with cats which lived freely around the town of the island. But I have one thing to note is that there were many mosquitos in the island even in the begging of autumn, my ankle was bitten 10 or more places and it was insanely itchy. Also, the mark still remains after 2 months. I thought I should have had insect repellent spray. If you go to the island in summer or autumn, you should have and splay insect repellent spray to your ankle.  It’s necessary. Considering cats, I think it should be natural aroma-based insect repellent splay that does not use DEET.