Tama, The Stationmaster Cat, Immortalized And Successor Named

WAKAYAMA, Japan, Aug. 11, 2015 (Kyodo) -

When a calico cat named Tama was named ‘stationmaster’ in a marketing move by the Wakayama Electric Railway Co in Japan during January 2007, the commuter railroad that was financially in trouble was saved by a flood of visitors that made the bottom line go from red to black a few years ago. I know firsthand of Tama and Nitama as I was in Japan last year and made a 'pilgrimage' to the Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan.

 

Cats are used as a good luck charm (Maneki-neko or beckoning cat) for shop owners and the rail line. The Wakayama Electric Railway was in danger of closure due to a lack of ridership when Tama was named stationmaster in a desperate publicity move.

Now with the recent passing of the 16-year old Tama, a Shinto shrine that contains the deceased cat, was unveiled to the public and is located on the station’s platform.

The railroad is hoping to keep lightning in the bottle by ‘appointing’ a 5-year old female calico feline named Nitama (Tama the 2nd), to be the ‘next master’ of Kishi Station.

The railroad’s President, Mitsunobu Kojima, said Tama’s popularity saved not only his railroad but other struggling local Japanese railways as well. Nitama, the successor, has been ‘in training’ since January 2012 and has been appointed acting station master of the station.

My report of Tama's passing has created a bit of a stir by visitors to the Trains website looking for a photo of the feline instead of an emu in kitty motif. So here is a link to the Trains website:

http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2015/08/japans-stationmaster-cat-memorialized-successor-named#comments

 

and a photo of Nitama:

 

Enjoy!

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