Japan railway station names third ‘stationmaster’ – calico cat named Yontama

A calico cat named Yontama has officially taken up duties as the third feline “stationmaster” at a Japanese railway station – continuing a quirky tradition that has attracted thousands of tourists and revived the local rail service.

Yontama was appointed on 7 January with a small ceremony at the Kishi Station at Kinokawa in Wakayama prefecture. During the event, the railway company, Wakayama Electric Railway Co, also introduced Rokutama, the newest cat to join the line as a stationmaster-in-training, local media reported.

Yontama succeeds Nitama, the previous stationmaster, who died in November last year. Nitama has since been given the title of honorary stationmaster in recognition of her role in promoting the railway.

The position of feline stationmaster is primarily symbolic, with the cat acting as a friendly mascot for the railway line and helping draw attention to the railway among visitors.

The Wakayama Electric Railway Co’s Kishigawa Line first captured public attention in 2007 when it appointed Tama as its inaugural feline stationmaster. It was Tama’s success that inspired the continued use of feline “staff” at the station, and her successor, Nitama, took over as apprentice stationmaster at the time.

The move proved unexpectedly successful, drawing visitors from across Japan and overseas and helping the struggling local line remain financially viable.

The idea later inspired other regional rail operators around the country to install animal stationmasters – including cats, dogs and even rabbits – as a way to attract tourists.

In 2015, Tama passed away at 16 from heart failure. She rose to international fame for her role in revitalising the local railway, attracting thousands of tourists and generating an estimated 1.1bn Japanese Yen for the area, according to the BBC.

After Nitama died in November, Mr Kojima said: “She worked diligently and provided irreplaceable comfort. Nitama, please watch over the Wakayama Electric Railway from heaven.”

At the ceremony on Wednesday, Wakayama Electric Railway president Mitsunobu Kojima placed a medal engraved with Yontama’s stationmaster title around the cat’s neck, prompting applause from gathered fans and residents.

He told reporters that he hopes Yontama will “lead the way as stationmaster at a time when local railways are at a turning point of major changes”.

Among those in attendance was Ms Chisako Asano, a 52-year-old housewife from Fujiidera in Osaka Prefecture, who has followed the station’s feline mascots since Tama’s tenure. She told Kyodo News: “I hope the cat stationmasters will continue to watch over Kishigawa Line.”