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Tashiro Island is located in Ishinomaki harbor near Ojika Peninsula, Miyagi Prefecture.
An active fishing base since the later half of the Edo period,
here there is a custom of cherishing cats as a kind of deity that brings aboundant catches of fish.
In a town called Nitoda, cats that don't belong to anyone in particular spend their days roaming around freely.
Looked after by residents over the ages, cats living here are friendly,
allowing in-depth the study of cat ecology on this island.
While cats have good lowlight vision due to their predominantly nocturnal nature,
their eyesight isn't especially good and they have trouble quickly identifying stationary objects at a distance.
The reason cats stop and stare in the direction of something they see is to confirm its movements.
A cat's hearing is more developed than its eyesight,
enabling it to easily make out high frequencies in the region of 100,000 hertz that are inaudible to humans.
Speak of the ability to hear high frequencies and ultrasonic sound and most think of dolphins and bats.
As cats can move both ears independently,
it is also said that their ability to pinpoint a sound's location in a three dimensional space is conspicuously better than other animals.
In addition to superb dynamic vision and hearing, cats have good smell, taste,
and are credited with the ability to detect magnetic fields and electromagnetic waves.
Cats, with their developed sensory organs, are literally a living mass of sensors.
Cats swiftly react to the slightest sound and movement thanks to superb sensors.
But, it is their bottomless sense of curiosity that gives them an abundant range of endearing expressions.
The inquisitive posture of a cat trying to understand events around it,
whether they be natural phenomenon such as weather and earthquakes, or otherwise,
has many things in common with a scientist analyzing the unknown.
While cats act independently inside their territory, cats that get along well sometimes live together inside the same territory.
When these cats meet they rub cheeks to mark the other with their scent,
before sniffing each other's *** glands.
This is a version of marking.
However, it is common that they just exchange a short, high pitched cry as a ‘greeting’ when frequently in contact.
Unfortunately this cry is at a high frequency, so it is almost never heard by humans.
At night, cats gather together. It is a kind of evening meeting.
It is thought that this gathering serves as a mutual confirmation of territories to avoid unnecessary conflict.
But, it must be said that the sight of cats sitting silently without ever making eye contact is a truly bizarre thing to behold.
While cats are a familiar animal, their highly developed sensory organs that detect light, sound,
and even magnetic fields outside the realm of human experience means their behavior is still shrouded in mystery.
However, take a close look at a cat and you will see an intelligent,
naturally curious animal that uses some form of communication to harmoniously exist with others in the same habitat.
Humans do not have such refined sensors with which to measure the natural world.
However, humankind posses the power of analysis, one that goes beyond our natural limitations.
The protection of this diverse and beautiful earth through the analysis of nature is a mission that has been entrusted to humankind.