2017 Block 2: Cat Island Trip

Photo credit: http://yaroneko.blog55.fc2.com/blog-category-25.html
When? 
The trip will take place on June 10-11.
Check-in: 14:00
Check-out: 11:00

How much? 
The cost for accommodation only is 2,000 yen to be paid to MAJET on the ferry ride over to the island. Cash please! This guarantees you a sleeping space in stylish lodge, but does not include any meals and/or drinks, so be sure to bring all that you need to make your stay enjoyable.
One-way ferry ticket is 1,340 yen, to be paid to the ticket booth at the port.

THE FACEBOOK EVENT IS NOT AN RSVP. 
Please fill out the Google form at the bottom of this page. Sign-up deadline is May 22nd!


IMPORTANT: You are responsible for double-checking your work schedule before signing up. Some schools do have chusoutai this weekend, so please double-check with your school(s).

The number of spaces for this event is limited to 18, so please sign up as soon as possible to guarantee your spot!!!

Want more info?
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5031.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashirojima

What should I bring?

  • 2,000 yen in cash for MAJET. Please withdraw this money beforehand and try to have exact change.
  • Money for:
            - transportation to Sendai
            - transportation to Ishinomaki (840 yen)
            - for taxiing in groups from station to port
            - for the ferry ride over!  (1,340 one-way.)
  • This is a BYOB event. So please bring your own alcohol - be it gin, cooking sherry, or Sapporo's finest, it is yours to bring.
  • Food. The campsite does not provide any of the meals, so you will need to bring enough to sustain you for the (relatively short) duration of the trip. Please make sure you purchase all you need before heading to Ishinomaki. We will have no time once in Ishinomaki to make any purchases, and the island does not have stores in the sense that you are probably used to.
  • Rain clothes, because you never know.
  • Sunhats and sun lotion, also because you never know.
  • Mosquito repellent!!!
  • Warm clothes - the evening might get cold.
  • Swimming clothes... maybe.
  • A towel.
  • Water bottle (particularly for hikers).
  • A guitar, footballs, cricket bats, tennis rackets or whatever campsite fun you want to have.
  • Your numerous devices (camera, phone, etc.)
  • Chargers for your numerous devices.
About Tashirojima
Tashirojima, an island off the south coast of Oshika Peninsula in Ishinomaki City, is also known by many visitors as Cat Island -- as its name suggests, for its fairly large population of cats that draw numerous cat-loving visitors every year.

Basic Statistics:
Island Area: 3.14 sq km
Human Population: about 100
Cat Population: about 100

Campsite Arrangements

On the night of June 10 (Sat.), we will be staying overnight at a few lodges in an area called Manga Island, so named because each of the lodges was designed by a renowned manga artist (including Shotaro Ishinomori, Tetsuya Chiba, and Machiko Satonaka). Showers are available for 100 yen, and there will be an onsen available for 200 yen, so please bring coins, and your own towel!

Transportation

This is a Block 2 event, so we will have JETs from Niigata, Yamagata and Fukushima as well as Miyagi! We will plan meet at Sendai Station around 9:50am and travel to Ishinomaki together (840 yen one-way from Sendai station.)

You can also make your own way there, if you prefer! The address is: 宮城県石巻市門脇町三丁目1番19号 
If you plan to drive, there is a free parking lot near the port, but be aware that it is likely to fill up, so be careful! The definite MAJET recommendation on this one is to take the train. Save yourself the woes of dealing with parking!!

There are only a few ferries per day, and the most convenient times for this trip are listed below. We will be aiming to catch the first ferry listed for June 10 (12:00-12:46), but if you do not mind making your own way to the island, feel free to come earlier/later!

Ishinomaki—Tashirojima (Nittoda) on June 10:
12:00 – 12:46
15:30 – 16:16

Tashirojima (Nittoda)—Ishinomaki on June 11:
7:40 - 8:29
10:42 – 11:30
14:12 – 15:00

Ferry schedule: http://ajishimaline.com/pg117.html

Disclaimer!

Cancellations after May 22nd will incur any extra cost that we are charged as an organization as a result. Sorry! Organizing for a big group can be difficult, so we would appreciate it if you could give us as much notice as possible. Double-check with your school(s) that you don't have any work obligations on this weekend. Some schools have chusoutai or other events. Also, being on a trip with MAJET does not make you immune to death. Nor does it make MAJET responsible for you death/injuries/shame.

Sign me up!