Nicknamed "the temple of cats," Gotanjoji in Echizen, Fukui Prefecture, continues to draw thousands of tourists every year after more than a decade of caring for abandoned cats.
Since the monks at the Soto Zen temple took in the first four stray cats 12 years ago, Gotanjoji has become known as a place where people can easily make contact with felines. Now, with 52 cats at the temple, it attracts about 10,000 visitors each year.
The idea of creating a cat shelter on the temple grounds was initiated by head priest and cat lover Koshu Itabashi, 87, who built Gotanjoji in 2002.