Kinokawa is a small town in Wakayama prefecture of western Japan. There is nothing special about this town, but a cat named Tama has made the town very famous in Japan.
Tama, a 9 year old calico cat is appointed as stationmaster of Kishi Station in Kinokawa. She has been officially working for last two years. Two other cats were named deputy stationmasters at the same Kishi Station. Stationmaster Tama, wearing a formal railway uniform cap, and two other cats often welcome passengers at the unmanned Kishi Station. The railway company feeds her in lieu of salary.
In Japan, you will often see small sculptures of lucky cat called Maneki Neko. These cats are supposed to bring luck. Tama is also bringing luck to Kinokawa town. The station went unmanned in April 2006 as the railway line was losing money. But since Tama was appointed as the stationmaster, number of passengers using the line increased dramatically. The Wakayama railway company expressed its appreciation of the cat’s role in boosting business by promoting her to super stationmaster and also by giving her a spacious stationmaster’s office equipped with a ventilation fan and a toilet.
The operator of the grocery shop at the station has been keeping the three cats. Tama became a national star when she appeared in books and documentaries. She is also set to appear in a French documentary film about wonder cats around the world.
Technorati Tags: Kinokawa, Japan, Tama, cat, Station, stationmasters, Maneki Neko
