Tama: The Calico Cat Who Became a Beloved Station Master
A calico cat was made honorary station master of a struggling Japanese train line, drew crowds from everywhere, and helped rescue the railway.
Tama was a calico cat who lived at Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. In 2007, the small railway gave her a very big job.
Reporting for duty
On January 5, 2007, Tama was officially named station master. Her duties were simple and delightful: sit at the station and greet passengers. She was given a tiny stationmaster's cap and paid, fittingly, in cat food.
A cat who drew crowds
Word spread, and travelers began coming from all over just to meet the little station master in her cap. Ridership climbed, and one study estimated Tama's fame brought around 1.1 billion yen to the local economy. A struggling line found new life because of one friendly cat.
She was promoted again and again over the years, rising to grand honorary titles that no cat had held before.
A lasting honor
Tama passed away on June 22, 2015, at the age of 16. She was honored at a shrine near the station and given a posthumous title, and a successor cat, Nitama, carried on her work greeting passengers.
Tama proved that charm is its own kind of usefulness. Sometimes the thing that saves the day is simply a warm welcome at the door.
✓ This is a true story. Sources:
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