Neko Stationmaster "Tama Tama" of Okayama, Japan, Was Raised by Her "Stationmaster Mom" to Grow Up

Reporter You t
ru / Reported and photographed in Japan

Japan’s Kishigawa Line of Wakayama Electric Railway is home to the famous feline stationmasters "Tama" and her successor "Nitama," but fewer people know that Okayama Electric Railway also has a "Tama Tama Stationmaster." With her lazy yet adorable and playful demeanor, she has also attracted fans from all over Japan who flock to Okayama to pay homage. There is also a "Stationmaster Mom" here who adopted five similarly patterned cats on her own — a truly touching story.


▲ Tama Tama Stationmaster with Stationmaster Mom, Yoshiko Yamagi.

Before discussing "Tama Tama Stationmaster," it's important to understand the relationship between Wakayama Electric Railway and Okayama Electric Railway. Okayama Electric Railway, officially known as "Okayama Dentetsu Co., Ltd.," is the parent company of Wakayama Electric Railway. After the Kishigawa Line of Wakayama Electric Railway became a huge hit thanks to cat stationmaster "Tama," Okayama Electric Railway began raising "Nitama." Following the passing of Tama, the originally Okayama-based "Nitama" was temporarily transferred to Wakayama Electric Railway, where she became the newest popular feline stationmaster.

The current feline stationmaster of Okayama Electric Railway is named "Tama Tama," with a fur pattern very similar to Tama and Nitama. What fewer travelers know is—Since adopting cat stationmasters, Okayama Electric Railway has received many stray cats from passengers. There are now a total of five similarly patterned cats, all raised by Yoshiko Yamagi, a director of Okayama Electric Railway who is hailed as the "Stationmaster Mom."


▲%Add explanation image if applicable?%


"If someone finds it difficult to keep a cat and can't take care of it, we should help take care of it," said Yoshiko Yamagi. Many people bring cats to the company, "We can't just ignore these cats, so we ended up raising them." What started as a job-like effort to care for the cats gradually grew into deep affection, and she became the "Stationmaster Mom" with a profound emotional bond with the cats.

To visit Tama Tama at Okayama Electric Railway and interact with her, the "Stationmaster Mom" must always be by her side to attend to Tama Tama’s mood. Yoshiko Yamagi interacts with Tama Tama in a very natural and familiar way. When strangers visit, she gently pats Tama Tama to calm her.


▲ Yoshiko Yamagi raises five cats on her own.

Tama Tama Stationmaster began training to become a cat stationmaster at the age of six months. Daily training helped her get used to people and human interaction. Now four years old, she has accumulated many fans across Japan. Yoshiko Yamagi said that all five cats she raised personally went through an interview with the company president, and in the end, "Tama Tama" was chosen to be the cat stationmaster of Okayama Electric Railway due to her stable temperament around crowds.

Tama Tama Stationmaster usually lives in an open guest area next to the railway company. Visitors can see her lazily lying around or strolling nearby — absolutely adorable. If travelers want to see more of Tama Tama’s charm, they can also ride the cat-themed train carriages of Okayama Electric Railway or visit the Tama Tama Stationmaster Museum, which opened in the summer of 2016 nearby, to check out cute related merchandise.


▲%Add explanation image if applicable?%





▲%The Tama Tama Stationmaster Museum, which opened in the summer of 2016, features plenty of cat-themed merchandise.
 

Want to see Tama Tama Stationmaster?
Address: 6-1 Nishikicho, Kita-ku, Okayama City
Business Hours: 09:00–17:00 (Monday to Friday)