Okishima Island is the only inhabited island on Lake Bioa, the largest freshwater lake in Japan and one of the oldest, geologically, lakes on the planet. It is also the home of such a large number of cats that sometimes when they want to refer to the island, they say the "Cat City". The kittens squat on the piers, sometimes with a fish in their mouth. Because Okisima Island is a fisherman's island.
About four hundred are the inhabitants of the island, fishermen today, but with a very interesting history. They are descendants of exiled samurai! In the 12th century, in a battle near Kyoto, the old imperial capital, seven samurai who were unlucky to find themselves on the side of the losers fled with their families to Oikisima. They remained hidden there for a long time, so long that they were forgotten. Their children grew up, they had grandchildren, and they in turn had two grandchildren and so on.
Centuries later, the samurai descendants still live on the island. Many of today's residents have surnames that you trace back to the surnames of the seven defeated samurai in that 12th century battle near Kyoto.
To get to the island, you reach Omihaciman Railway Station. From there, it takes half an hour by bus to the new port of Horikiri. Small ferries make the route Horikiri-Okisima, eleven times a day, every day. It's about ten minutes.
