 The island had a population of 164 in the year 2000 census, which dropped to 110 people in the 2010 census; however, the actual number of full-time residents is considerably less.It is thought that Hegurajima corresponds to the island called "Neko-no-Shima" (Isle of the Cat) in a tale found in "Konjaku Monogatari", an early 13th-century folktale collection.There is a lighthouse in the center of the island and a small "minshuku".