Japan has 2 wild cat species. Both small and both actually designated subspecies of the Asiatic leopard cat. You might find some discussions about whether they are indeed subspecies of the Asiatic leopard cat (aka Asian leopard cat or simply ‘leopard cat’). As the infographic states they are both critically endangered as per the Red List (a group who are considered experts on the survival of species). As usual their endangerment is due to human activities where on a small island there is a greater threat to wildlife. They are precious wild cats to the Japanese authorities. They want to protect them. There is no certainty that they won’t become extinct in due course.
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The Iriomote cat is native to the island of the same name in Okinawa Prefecture and is remarkable for its resilience: It occupies the smallest habitat of any wildcat on Earth.
Click on this link to read more about the Iriomote cat.
On a general note, all small wild cats are endangered to varying extents by human activities of various kinds from habitat loss, nearly always deforestation for commercial reasons to direct persecution. Times have changed as conservationists play catchup to try and protect some species at the 11th hour.
Image credits: For the Tsushima cat: By Pontafon – Photo created by Pontafon., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2448123. For the Iriomote cat: Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center.
