Stationmaster Tama Has a Feline Successor！Second-Gen Tama Takes Over as Kishi Station Master

▲ Wakayama’s New Cat Stationmaster—Second-Gen Tama (Photo／Wakayama City Tourism Association)

Text by Rita

In June this year,the news of the passing of Tama, the “cat stationmaster” at Kishi Station in Wakayama,broke the hearts of many cat-loving travelers. Tama was a key figure in transforming a once-declining local train station into a world-renowned tourist destination. After several months of waiting, Tama’s “successor” has emerged—a cat that bears some resemblance to her and previously served as her “assistant”—Second-Gen Tama—who has officially taken over as Kishi Station’s stationmaster, continuing to charm tourists with her adorable presence.

▲ Kishigawa Tourist Train featuring Tama (Photo／Wikipedia)

According to CNN,Second-Gen Tama (Nitama) has just graduated from the cat stationmaster training school, where graduates must demonstrate a “relaxing” therapeutic quality and be willing to wear hats. However, according to a spokesperson, Nitama isn’t a fan of hats. At just five years old, Nitama already has stationmaster experience (having served as stationmaster at Itakiso Station) before becoming an assistant at Kishi Station.

▲ Wakayama’s New Cat Stationmaster—Second-Gen Tama (Photo／Wikipedia)

The report noted that Nitama was ultimately chosen because “she had been by Tama’s side for a long time and absorbed Tama’s gentle demeanor.” Her friendly charm is definitely not to be underestimated—after all, during Tama’s first year in office, she helped generate 1.1 billion yen in revenue and increased passenger numbers by 17%.