Appointing a Stray Cat as Station Master Turns a Railway Line Around

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, Reported by Li Xinyi

 

The fate of stray cats is often harsh, but in Japan, there’s a true story of a stray cat becoming a station master. Though it now has to “go to work” every day and sleep in a cat bed at the station, the comfortable and relaxing working environment has allowed this stray calico cat to live a happy life ever since. But it’s not just the cat that’s happy—its “served” Wakayama Electric Railway has also benefited. Belonging to a local railway line, Wakayama Electric Railway was originally operating at a loss. However, as the fame of the cat station master grew, coupled with the railway’s timely launch of themed trains such as the Cat Train, Strawberry Train, and Toy Train, the railway began to turn a profit.

The cat station master is named “TAMA” (or Tama), serving at Kishi Station, which is designed with a cat theme—the station’s exterior resembles a cat’s face. Since Tama is a cat raised by the owner of the nearby Komagata Shop, she usually naps in a cat bed next to the shop, where people can see her through the transparent glass. Now 13 years old, Tama is a female cat who goes to “work” with the shop owner every day, and “gets off work” to go home when the shop closes.

A wide range of merchandise related to the station master Tama is sold at the station and the Komagata Shop. Visitors can also pay 100 yen for a fortune draw to see how their day will go, and the fortunes are explained in “cat language,” with each sentence ending in a cute “meow.” The station also has rows of glass cabinets displaying her certificates and items, including her 2007 appointment letter as station master and a thank-you letter from when she was promoted to executive director.