Report for duty to Cat Station Master at Japan’s Kishi River Line in Wakayama – Transportation Guide

▲ The terminal station of the Kishi River Line in Wakayama, Japan – Kishi Station.

▲ The trainee cat station master of the Kishi River Line in Wakayama, Japan – Shida Yuki, the fourth-generation Tama.

Reported and photographed by Cai Wenjun / Japan

The Kishi River Line, known for its cat station master, is a must-visit attraction in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Aside from the second-generation cat station master Tama, the four themed trains running back and forth on the Kishi River Line are also popular photography spots. For travelers who want to ride all four themed trains in one go while saving on transportation costs, the best option is to purchase the “Wakayama Electric Railway Kishi River Line One-Day Pass.” For just 780 yen, you can ride back and forth to your heart’s content in a single day — very economical.

▲ JR Wakayama Station in Japan.

▲ Platform 9 inside JR Wakayama Station is where you board the Kishi River Line.

If you’re departing from Osaka, the most convenient way is to take the JR direct train to “Wakayama Station” and then head to Platform 9, where you’ll find the ticket window and boarding area for the Kishi River Line one-day pass.

▲ JR Wakayama Station has multilingual staff wearing special uniforms – feel free to ask them if you have any questions.

However, for travelers staying overnight near Wakayama Station the night before, note that the ticket window for the Kishi River Line one-day pass is located inside the platform area. You can get assistance from the Chinese-speaking staff at the JR Travel Service Center to enter the platform, then proceed to Platform 9 to purchase the one-day pass.

▲ The ticket window for the Kishi River Line one-day pass.

▲ The Kishi River Line One-Day Pass.

The “Wakayama Electric Railway Kishi River Line One-Day Pass” is a scratch card-style ticket. You scratch off the year, month, and day according to the date of use. Be sure not to scratch off more than one day’s date, as doing so will invalidate the ticket.

▲ The Kishi River Line One-Day Pass must be scratched to reveal the date of use.

Currently, there are four themed trains on the Kishi River Line: Tama, Strawberry, Toy, and Plum Star. Since they run on a random schedule, screens are set up at each station along the line to show which train is operating at different times, making it easier for passengers to catch their desired themed train.

▲ You can check which train is running at different times via the screen.

▲ Besides Kishi Station, Itashiki Station also has a trainee cat station master – “Shida Yuki,” the fourth-generation Tama.