John Fulton meets a CEO, entrepreneur and station master - did he mention he's a cat? The Tama train - source: commons.wikimedia.org The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. From Stray to Stationmaster . —Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—. Tama the cat sits at her post as stationmaster at Kishi train station in Wakayama, western Japan. I am filled with deep sorrow and appreciation," Nisaka said. In just five years of… Little Tama-chan is the cat that saved the little-visited Kishi Train station in Wakayama from closure. The 14-kilometre Kishigawa Line from Wakayama City to Kishi Station was never a busy route and was set to close down in 2004. from Osaka) it’s very easy to get to the train that will bring you to JR Kishi Station. Apr 14, 2018 - Explore Lynda Tam's board "Tama Station master" on Pinterest. The cat has been credited with saving the station from closure. Email us. The popularity of the endearing “station master” Tama, a female calico cat on the Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line, endures. Just follow Tama’s foot pawsteps! Destinations Food & Drink News Stay Video. Tama was 16 (80 in cat years) when she passed away. Tama (top left), the original cat stationmaster, passed away in June 2015 and is now known as ‘Honourable Eternal Stationmaster’. For many years, the train station was lightly traveled, causing officials to close it in 2004. That was the spark of the idea that saved the town. The Kishi station is the final stop on the Kishigawa Line, the only railway line run by the Wakayama Electric Railway Company. Tama, a calico cat, was first appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. Join us on a 12-month journey to see them all. 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”. The calico cat is the successor to Tama, the iconic feline stationmaster who saved the Wakayama Electric Railway from financial ruin. 2016/01/23 - One cat in Japan holds an unlikely position at Wakayama Electric Railway Co. While serving as a station master, Tama gained fame for her adorable outlook and attracted plenty of tourists from home and abroad. Kishi Station, which is in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture, will have a memorial on June 28th. 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. The country is now mourning the beloved feline who saved a rural train station from financial ruin. Tama is a calico cat (mikeneko, 三毛猫). See more ideas about tama, japan, cats. But cute as she was in her jaunty little stationmaster hat, Tama's biggest achievement was single-pawedly. You'll want to hug your cat a little bit tighter after reading this story. 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. The newly appointed stationmaster at a rural railway station in Japan has some pretty big shoes to fill. It wasn't long until Tama became wide-known, attracting tourists and world-famous. 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. Sep 16, 2019 - Explore S Carter's board "Tama -- Stationmaster of Kishi Station -- Kinokawa, Japan", followed by 343 people on Pinterest. Electric Railway president Misunobu Kojima said that the day before Tama’s death, she let out “a strong meow.”. By Dominique Mosbergen. 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. Cat owners must know that some cats are acting like they’re the boss. 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. See more ideas about Tama, Cat training, Cats. In turn, contributing to the railway company (that had been struggling) and the local economy. Today, the Wakayama Railway is an unexpected destination for cat lovers from all over the world! 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