Breaking News / Tama, the Beloved Cat Stationmaster of Wakayama, Passes Away at Age 16

▲ Tama, who had just celebrated her 16th birthday at the end of April, passed away on the 22nd. (Photo / Screenshot from Asahi Shimbun)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Tama, the popular calico cat stationmaster of Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, passed away on the 22nd at the age of 16 (equivalent to 80 human years). Wakayama Electric Railway announced the sad news to fans on the 24th, and Tama’s memorial service is scheduled to be held on the 28th.

Tama was born on April 29, 1999, and was appointed as the stationmaster of Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line by Wakayama Electric Railway starting January 5, 2007. Her main duty was to greet passengers, and she served on a lifelong basis with an annual salary of cat food.

%寂Ttoday’s “Pet Little Joys” once visited Kishi Station to see Tama in person. Her adorable appearance can be seen starting at the 4-minute and 15-second mark. (Note: The prize giveaway featured in the program ended in 2014.)

According to Japanese media reports, after officially becoming stationmaster, Tama boosted local tourism. In 2014 alone, the number of overseas visitors traveling specifically to Wakayama City increased significantly, with those from Taiwan rising sevenfold. Tama’s immense popularity not only made her famous worldwide—Italian producers even made a documentary about her called La Voie du chat—and Kishi Station became a must-visit spot for many tour groups and backpackers traveling to Wakayama.

On April 30 of this year, Tama celebrated her 16th birthday (equivalent to 80 human years) surrounded by 300 fans, but she was hospitalized on May 19 due to sinusitis. After being discharged, she returned to her post, but passed away on June 22 from acute heart failure.

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Beloved Cat Stationmaster Tama Was a Tourism Deity During Her Life; Now Honored as “Honorary Permanent Stationmaster”