Kishi Station, the cat train

photo by Niiryoku2910 · CC BY-SA 4.0

photo by hirorin0505 · Public domain

In 2007 a cat became stationmaster: estimated economic impact, 1.1 billion yen.

In January 2007 Tama, a female cat that lived in the station shop, was officially appointed stationmaster (駅長) of the terminus of the Kishigawa Line: an honorary title that saved a chronically loss-making line from closure. The news went round the world, and the economic impact of the first year alone was estimated at 1.1 billion yen. The current station building, completed in August 2010 to a design by the architect Mizuno Eiji on the theme ‘eco and cat’, has a roof and outline shaped like a cat's head, in local wood and cypress bark. When Tama died in 2015 she was succeeded by Nitama; today the role is carried on by a new generation of female cats.

Terminus of the Kishigawa Line of the Wakayama Electric Railway, in Kinokawa. It includes a small museum dedicated to Tama, a shop selling local products and a café.

ℹ️ The station is always accessible; the shop/museum has its own hours (to be checked on the official website). There is no car park dedicated to the station: you are advised to leave your car at another station on the line and take the train.

🚉 Kishi · 1 min walk

Sources: ja.wikipedia.org

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