An army of feral cats rules a remote island in southern Japan, curling up in abandoned houses or strutting about in a fishing village overrun with felines that outnumber humans by six to one.

Originally introduced to the mile-long island of Aoshima to deal with mice that plagued fishermen's boats, the cats stayed on - and multiplied.

More than 120 cats swarm the island with only a handful of humans for company, mostly pensioners who did not join the waves of migrants seeking work in the cities after World War II.