They come seeking time, and hopefully a photo, with Kishi's stationmaster, a calico cat named Tama. The star of this week’s article, Tama the cat, was the mascot of the Wakayama Electric Railway and held a special place in Japan, and the world’s, heart. John Fulton meets a CEO, entrepreneur and station master - did he mention he's a cat? It is a narrow gauge railway, powered by overhead catenary. See more ideas about Tama, Cat training, Cats. Menu . Destinations Food & Drink News Stay Video. Tama, the hero of Kishi Station. Tama Station (多磨駅, Tama-eki) is a railway station the Seibu Tamagawa Line in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Seibu Railway. Tama, the beloved calico cat, who served as stationmaster an an obscure Japanese railway stop, has passed away at the age of 16. Her presence pulled in visitors and fans from around the world, allowing the train line to sustain its service for local residents. Or to keep it anonymous, click here. That was the spark of the idea that saved the town. Donning her custom-made stationmaster’s cap, Tama quietly … Sep 16, 2019 - Explore S Carter's board "Tama -- Stationmaster of Kishi Station -- Kinokawa, Japan", followed by 343 people on Pinterest. Tama (Japanese: たま, April 29, 1999 – June 22, 2015) was a female calico cat who gained fame for being a station master and operating officer at Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. Electric Railway president Misunobu Kojima said that the day before Tama’s death, she let out “a strong meow.”. Tama, Japan's famous cat stationmaster, passed away Monday at a local animal hospital due to acute heart failure. The train car was designed by Eiji Mitooka (picture at left), an Industrial Designer and Illustrator from Okayama, Japan. Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +? Today, the Wakayama Railway is an unexpected destination for cat lovers from all over the world! Tama, originally a stray cat, was adopted by the station master at the time. The cat has been credited with saving the station from closure. Tama was 16 (80 in cat years) when she passed away. The country is now mourning the beloved feline who saved a rural train station from financial ruin. Wakayama governor Yoshinobu Nisaka said he was “filled with deep sorrow and appreciation” and praised Tama’s work in promoting tourism. Tama (top left), the original cat stationmaster, passed away in June 2015 and is now known as ‘Honourable Eternal Stationmaster’. They are busy with sleeping, playing and eating. Search. The female tortoiseshell's popularity rose quickly following her 2007 appointment as the stationmaster of Kishi Station, which serves Japan's rural neighborhood of Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture. 2016/01/23 - One cat in Japan holds an unlikely position at Wakayama Electric Railway Co. The man who looked after Kishi Station adopted a stray cat called Tama and it used to sit with him in the same station. But in 2007, the railway appointed Tama the calico cat to be the stationmaster. The 14-kilometre Kishigawa Line from Wakayama City to Kishi Station was never a busy route and was set to close down in 2004. Just follow Tama’s foot pawsteps! Tama the cat took the world by storm, not only making the station famous, but also saved the railway from abandonment. Her job was to greet passengers with her stationmaster hat. The Kishi station is the final stop on the Kishigawa Line, the only railway line run by the Wakayama Electric Railway Company. Her predecessor was world-famous, credited with saving the once-struggling station and its railway line from financial collapse. —Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—. A heart-warming trip to see “Tama”, the station master. tips@themarysue.com. She became a well known celebrity, with her face on the station cars, souvenirs, and much more. And “manned” is certainly not the right word because Tama is a cat. And Kishi Station is perhaps the only station in the world where work has been outsourced to our feline friends. At that time the station master (whom also owned a grocery store in the town, as he was only part-time working) had his cat, called Tama, wandering around from his house, the grocery store and the station, and the owner fondly called her the “station master”. In turn, contributing to the railway company (that had been struggling) and the local economy. Email us. The popularity of the endearing “station master” Tama, a female calico cat on the Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line, endures. Tama’s new position increased tourism in the area immensely, and was eventually promoted to super station master, where she got her own office and two assistants; her mother, and a second tabby cat called Chiiko. Tama was a "tourism superstar extremely popular in and out of Japan who contributed greatly to promoting tourism in our prefecture. Want to know more about Japan's beloved cat stationmaster? Apr 14, 2018 - Explore Lynda Tam's board "Tama Station master" on Pinterest. Since 2007, Tama has served as Super Station Master of the station, which is the last stop on the Wakayama Electric Railway. Tama the cat sits at her post as stationmaster at Kishi train station in Wakayama, western Japan. A funeral will be held for Tama on June 28 at Kishi Station. Donning her custom-made stationmaster's cap, Tama quietly sat at the ticket gate welcoming and seeing off passengers. While serving as a station master, Tama gained fame for her adorable outlook and attracted plenty of tourists from home and abroad. Have a tip we should know? In 2007 Tama was given the honorary title of stationmaster. The station was almost shut down, but ended up destaffed instead. A decade earlier, the train line had been making huge financial losses every year and in an attempt to turn things around, the staff adopted the cute stray calico cat that had been hanging around the local grocery store. Tama, who had been a stray who hung around the station, was the first cat in the world to hold such a position. The Tama train - source: commons.wikimedia.org The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. The Tama Densha operates on Wakayama Electric Railway’s Kishigawa Line, running from Wakayama Station to Kishi Station over a track of 8.89 miles. In Kinokawa City (Wakayama, Japan) there’s a peculiar train station manned by Tama, a peculiar station master. Wakayama Electric Railway president Mitsunobu Kojima said he visited the cat the day before her death and she stood up and let out a strong meow. From Stray to Stationmaster . See more ideas about tama, japan, cats. Cat owners must know that some cats are acting like they’re the boss. Kishi Station, which is in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, will have a memorial on June 28th. Have a tip or story idea? It wasn't long until Tama became wide-known, attracting tourists and world-famous. This little cutie was appointed Station master and made the train station an instant tourist attraction. For many years, the train station was lightly traveled, causing officials to close it in 2004. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all. According to the Associated Press, the Wakayama Electric Railway had been almost bankrupt at the time of Tama’s appointment, and the Kishi station had let go of all its staff. By Dominique Mosbergen. The monument, featuring a bronze statue of Tama, was built beside an existing cat shrine, located beside the tree "where Tama used to see cherry blossoms and can see the Kishi Station … I am filled with deep sorrow and appreciation," Nisaka said. 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The cat who saved a Japanese rail line Not only did Tama’s sweet nature and photogenic features make her popular with commuters on the Kishigawa railway, but the ‘cat … The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007 and died early last week. Little Tama-chan is the cat that saved the little-visited Kishi Train station in Wakayama from closure. Eventually, Tama was named station master with a salary consisting of cat food. Before Tama took on this official role, Kishi was struggling, and many employees were laid off. You'll want to hug your cat a little bit tighter after reading this story. Cat stationmaster Tama mourned in Japan and elevated as goddess. from Osaka) it’s very easy to get to the train that will bring you to JR Kishi Station. image caption Tama, once a stray cat, was given cat food in lieu of a salary. The calico cat is the successor to Tama, the iconic feline stationmaster who saved the Wakayama Electric Railway from financial ruin. The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. From JR Wakayama Station (~ 90min. Tama, a calico cat, was first appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. We visited Tama in 2013 --, There's a perfect beach for every week of the year. Tama, the cute calico cat, is hailed as a hero who saved Kishi Station from financial ruin by bringing in visitors and acting as both station master and mascot. Although Tama passed away a few years ago, her subordinates Nitama and Yontama now run things in her steed. The newly appointed stationmaster at a rural railway station in Japan has some pretty big shoes to fill. Some owners even treated their cats like their human children with great food, the puffiest pillow, and the cutest-pretties clothes. 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