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Wakayama Elects Nitama As New Cat Stationmaster

After the unfortunate passing of Kishi Station's beloved stationmaster, Tama the cat, the railway is promoting a new feline to take over her duties.

Wakayama Electric Railway Co. issued a letter of appointment for Nitama (Tama the 2nd), a five-year-old Calico and Tama's former subordinate. Nitama was elected stationmaster in 2012 at Idakiso station, around the same time that Tama was promoted to vice president but her duties will now take her to Kishi Station where Tama worked.

Nitama's appointment over Tama's duties was a marked event. The cat reported to the newly installed Shinto shrine in honor of Tama, wearing a stationmaster's cap and with railway president Mitsunobu Kojima in tow. Fans gathered to watch Nitama deliver the news to "Tama Daimyojin." The shrine includes a picture of Tama and two bronze statues created in her image to mimic a maneki-neko.

Tama became "Tama Daimyojin" at her funeral, a title that designates the cat as a local deity. She was also bestowed the title "honorable eternal stationmaster."

Kojima expressed hope that Nitama will continue to bring in passengers in Tama's stead.

Tama reached the age of 16 years and two months, or approximately 80 in human age before she passed in June. For the last eight years, Tama brought in throngs of tourists and boosted the station's overall business to 2.27 million passengers last year from 1.92 million in 2005. The station sold photos and merchandise of the calico feline. Kojima and other members of the company credited the cat with saving the floundering rail line and bringing in 1.1 billion yen (US$8.79 million) to the local economy.

Source: Japan Times, Metro UK