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New cat stationmaster

KINOKAWA, Japan, Jan. 7 Kyodo - Calico cat Yontama is pictured after being appointed the third feline stationmaster alongside a feline apprentice recruit, Rokutama, at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025. Yontama succeeded Nitama, the second stationmaster who died in November, continuing a nearly two-decade tradition that has boosted tourism and helped save the line from financial trouble. (Kyodo)

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New cat stationmaster

Calico cat Yontama (R) is pictured after being appointed the third feline stationmaster alongside a feline apprentice recruit, Rokutama, at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025. Yontama succeeded Nitama, the second stationmaster who died in November, continuing a nearly two-decade tradition that has boosted tourism and helped save the line from financial trouble.

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New cat stationmaster

Wakayama Electric Railway Co. President Mitsunobu Kojima holds Yontama, a calico cat appointed as the third feline stationmaster at Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Jan. 7, 2026. Yontama succeeded Nitama, the second stationmaster who died in November, continuing a nearly two-decade tradition that has boosted tourism and helped save the line from financial trouble.

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Funeral for cat stationmaster

KINOKAWA, Japan, Dec. 14 Kyodo - A funeral for cat stationmaster Nitama is held at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025, following the cat's death in November at age 15. (Kyodo)

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Funeral for cat stationmaster

A funeral for cat stationmaster Nitama is held at Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Dec. 13, 2025, following the cat's death in November at age 15.

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Feline stationmaster in Fukushima Pref.

Photo taken on Nov. 5, 2023, shows Sakura, a female cat who was appointed as the third-generation honorary stationmaster of Aizu Railway Co.'s Ashinomaki Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, the same day, replacing her brother who died in October 2022.

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Feline stationmaster in Fukushima Pref.

Photo taken on Nov. 5, 2023, shows Sakura, a female cat who was appointed as the third-generation honorary stationmaster of Aizu Railway Co.'s Ashinomaki Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, the same day, replacing her brother who died in October 2022.

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British consul general in Osaka meets with 'Tama'

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Michael Shearer, British consul general in Osaka, pats "Tama," a popular cat stationmaster of Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 2, 2014.

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British consul general in Osaka meets with 'Tama'

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Michael Shearer (R), British consul general in Osaka, meets "Tama," a popular cat stationmaster of Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Sept. 2, 2014.

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Kitten named 'apprentice attendant' at rail station

AIZUWAKAMATSU, Japan - Michiko Kobayashi, manager of Aizu Railway Co.'s Ashinomaki Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima Prefecture, northeastern Japan, holds a kitten appointed as an "apprentice attendant" on July 28, 2014. She hopes the kitten will succeed an aging "cat stationmaster" in the near future.

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Cat railway president writes book

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Wakayama Electric Railway Co. President Mitsunobu Kojima promotes his new book in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on Feb. 7, 2012. The book tells the story of efforts to revive a local railway line with the help of Tama (R), a popular calico cat assigned as a ''stationmaster.'' The other calico cat held by Kojima is Nitama, Tama's ''subordinate.''

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LED bulbs to quake-hit railways

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Tama, the famous calico cat also known as ''stationmaster,'' is pictured with light-emitting diode bulbs that features her in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on Aug. 19, 2011. Wakayama Electric Railway Co. said the same day that it will donate 610 ''Tama bulbs'' to 10 northeastern Japan railway operators hit by the March quake and tsunami.

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Railway unveils new 'cat stationmaster' building

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Wakayama Electric Railway Co. President Mitsunobu Kojima holds Tama, the ''stationmaster'' of Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama Prefecture on Aug. 4, 2010. The company unveiled a station building which has a cat-shaped exterior and decorations of Tama, who has attracted tourists from across Japan.

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Railway unveils new 'cat stationmaster' building

WAKAYAMA, Japan - People gather at the newly renovated Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line, famous for its cat ''stationmaster'' Tama, in Wakayama Prefecture on Aug. 4, 2010. Wakayama Electric Railway Co. unveiled the building which has a cat-shaped exterior and an interior with decorations of Tama, who has attracted tourists from across Japan.

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Stationmaster cat Tama presented with own train

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Cat Tama the stationmaster looks pleased when she was presented with a two-car train featuring her likeness and special logos by Wakayama Electric Railway Co. on March 21

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Stationmaster cat Tama presented with own train

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Cat Tama the stationmaster looks out of the window from the driver's room of the ''Tama Densha'' at Idakiso Station of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. on March 21.

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Stationmaster cat Tama presented with own train

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Cat Tama the stationmaster looks out of the window from the driver's room of the ''Tama Densha'' at Idakiso Station of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. on March 21. (Kyodo)

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Stationmaster cat Tama presented with own train

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Cat Tama the stationmaster looks pleased when she was presented with a two-car train featuring her likeness and special logos by Wakayama Electric Railway Co. on March 21 (Kyodo)

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Book about cat stationmaster Tama released

Mitsunobu Kojima, president of Wakayama Electric Railway Co., attends an event at Kishi Station with cat stationmaster Nitama to introduce a book about Tama, Nitama's predecessor, in the western Japan prefecture of Wakayama on July 15, 2016. Tama, who died aged 16 in June 2015, is credited with rescuing the railway operator from financial difficulties. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Funeral for stationmaster cat Bus held in Fukushima Pref.

The male cat Love, who became honorary stationmaster at Aizu Railway's Ashinomaki Onsen Station in December 2015, sits by a photo of his predecessor, the female cat Bus, during her funeral at the station in the city of Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, on May 1, 2016. Around 300 people attended the ceremony for Bus, who died on April 22, at an estimated age of 18, equivalent to 100 in human years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Funeral for stationmaster cat Bus held in Fukushima Pref.

A funeral for former stationmaster cat Bus is held at Aizu Railway's Ashinomaki Onsen Station in the city of Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan, on May 1, 2016, with around 300 people in attendance. The female cat, who became the honorary stationmaster in 2008 and was succeeded by Love the previous December, died on April 22, at an estimated age of 18, equivalent to 100 in human years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese prefecture inducts late "stationmaster cat" into Hall of Fame

Tama, honorary stationmaster of Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. in western Japan, attends an event at her station in January 2013. Wakayama Prefecture inducted Tama, who died in June 2015 after bringing attention to the struggling railway line, into its newly established Hall of Fame on Feb. 2, 2016. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Another cat appointed to succeed Bus the stationmaster

Love, the newly appointed feline "station master" of Ashinomaki-Onsen Station, is pictured at the station in Aizuwakamatsu, a town in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima, on Dec. 24, 2015. The same day, Love succeeded Bus, the first cat to have taken on the role in 2008, who is retiring due to old age. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Another cat appointed to succeed Bus the stationmaster

Love, the newly appointed feline "station master" of Ashinomaki-Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, a town in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima, wears a Santa Claus costume on Dec. 24, 2015. Love succeeded the title from Bus, the first cat to have taken on the role in 2008 and who is retiring due to old age. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Another cat appointed to succeed Bus the stationmaster

Children stroke Love, the newly appointed feline "station master" of Ashinomaki-Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, a town in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima, on Dec. 24, 2015. The same day, Love succeeded Bus, the first cat to have taken on the role in 2008, who is retiring due to old age. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Another cat appointed to succeed Bus the stationmaster

Love (L), the newly appointed feline "station master" of Ashinomaki-Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, a town in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima, is pictured Dec. 24, 2015 alongside Bus, the first cat to have taken on the role, at a ceremony on marking the succession of the title due to Bus's retirement from old age. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Another cat appointed to succeed Bus the stationmaster

Love (L), the newly appointed feline "station master" of Ashinomaki-Onsen Station in Aizuwakamatsu, a town in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima, is pictured Dec. 24, 2015 alongside Bus, the first cat to have taken on the role, at a ceremony on marking the succession of the title due to Bus's retirement from old age. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Nitama lights illuminations on Christmas tree

Nitama (Tama the Second), a five-year-old female cat, pushes a button to light illuminations on a Christmas tree at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Nov. 22, 2015. In August, Nitama assumed the post of cat stationmaster, succeeding Tama, who was credited with rescuing Wakayama Electric Railway Co. from financial difficulties before dying aged 16 in June. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Stationmaster cat Nitama

Fans take photos of Nitama, a female calico cat held in the arms of Mitsunobu Kojima, president of Wakayama Electric Railway Co., after an official event at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Sept. 6, 2015. The event was held to unveil a wooden bench donated to the station. Nitama is Kishi Station's honorary stationmaster, having succeeded Tama, the previous feline holder of the post, who died aged 16 in June 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Stationmaster Nitama attends official event

Nitama, a female calico cat seen in the arms of Mitsunobu Kojima, president of Wakayama Electric Railway Co., attends an official event at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Sept. 6, 2015. The event was held to unveil a wooden bench donated to the station. Nitama succeeded Tama, the previous feline stationmaster, who died aged 16 in June 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan railway appoints another cat to succeed Tama the stationmaster

Nitama (Tama the Second), a five-year-old female cat, held in the arms of Mitsunobu Kojima, president of Wakayama Electric Railway Co., faces the Tama Shrine at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Aug. 11, 2015. Nitama assumed the role of stationmaster that day to succeed Tama, a cat credited with rescuing the railway from financial difficulties before dying aged 16 in June 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan railway appoints another cat to succeed Tama the stationmaster

Nitama (Tama the Second), a five-year-old female cat, is seen before the framed photograph of Tama, a cat credited with rescuing Wakayama Electric Railway Co. from financial difficulties before dying aged 16 in June 2015, at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Aug. 11, 2015. Nitama is wearing a stationmaster's cap as she assumed the role from Tama that day. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan railway appoints another cat to succeed Tama the stationmaster

Nitama (Tama the Second), a five-year-old female cat, receives a letter of appointment to become the stationmaster of Kishi Station of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. on Aug. 11, 2015, at the station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan. Nitama succeeded Tama, a cat credited with rescuing the railway from financial difficulties before dying aged 16 in June 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan railway appoints another cat to succeed Tama the stationmaster

Girls offer prayers to the Tama Shrine at Kishi Station of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Aug. 11, 2015. It is a Shinto shrine that enshrines Tama, a cat that served as stationmaster of the station before dying in June 2015, as a deity protecting the once-money-losing Kishigawa Line, as the cat is credited with rescuing the railway from financial difficulties. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japan railway appoints another cat to succeed Tama the stationmaster

Nitama (Tama the Second), a five-year-old female cat, held in the arms of Mitsunobu Kojima, president of Wakayama Electric Railway Co., "offers prayers" to the Tama Shrine at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan on Aug. 11, 2015. At front is a bronze statue of Tama, a cat credited with rescuing the railway from financial difficulties before dying aged 16 in June 2015. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Cat stationmaster Tama remains popular many days after death

File photo taken in January 2013 shows Tama, a cat stationmaster of a railway station in western Japan, attending an event at her Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture. The station continues to have many visitors in the summer of 2015 after Tama died in June. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Cat stationmaster Tama remains popular 50 days after death

A Shinto ritual is held at Kishi train station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on Aug. 10, 2015, 50 days after the death of Tama, a popular cat stationmaster of the station. The station continues to have many visitors. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Photos of late stationmaster cat adorn special tram in western Japan

Children from a daycare center in Okayama, western Japan, enjoy a ride on July 22, 2015, on an Okayama Electric Tramway special train featuring photos of the recently deceased Tama, a popular feline stationmaster at a group company's railway station in Wakayama Prefecture. The calico cat died on June 22. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Japanese cat stationmaster "Tama" popular at H.K. book fair

A large photo of "Tama," a cat stationmaster at a private railway station in Wakayama Prefecture, graces the western Japan region's booth at a Hong Kong book fair on July 15, 2015. The calico cat, which died in May, was immensely popular among tourists from abroad as well as at home. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Children miss cat stationmaster Tama in Japan

Children adorn bamboo branches with strips of paper at Kishi train station in Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, on July 4, 2015, with acting feline stationmaster Nitama ahead of the July 7 Tanabata festival. The children mourned beloved cat stationmaster Tama's passing in late June. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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People mourn loss of cat stationmaster Tama in Wakayama Pref.

People mourn the death of Tama, a popular feline stationmaster at Wakayama Electric Railway Co.'s Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on June 25, 2015. Tama died on June 22. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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People mourn loss of cat stationmaster Tama in Wakayama Pref.

A man bows in front of pictures of Tama, a popular feline stationmaster at Wakayama Electric Railway Co.'s Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, on June 25, 2015, as he mourns the death of the cat who died on June 22. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Funeral service for stationmaster cat Tama

A girl offers flowers in front of photos of Tama, the popular calico cat stationmaster, at Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on June 28, 2015. The company gave Tama the title of "honorary permanent stationmaster" and held a funeral service for her contribution to saving the line from financial ruin. Tama died on June 22 at the age of 16 years, equivalent to about 80 human years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Funeral service for stationmaster cat Tama

People offer prayers in front of photos of Tama, the popular calico cat stationmaster, at Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on June 28, 2015. The company gave Tama the title of "honorary permanent stationmaster" and held a funeral service for her contribution to saving the line from financial ruin. Tama died on June 22 at the age of 16 years, equivalent to about 80 human years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Funeral service for stationmaster cat Tama

People offer prayers in front of photos of Tama, the popular calico cat stationmaster, at Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line of Wakayama Electric Railway Co. in Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on June 28, 2015. The company gave Tama the title of "honorary permanent stationmaster" and held a funeral service for her contribution to saving the line from financial ruin. Tama died on June 22 at the age of 16 years, equivalent to about 80 human years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Cat stationmaster Tama, superstar in western Japan, dies

Tama, a cat stationmaster of a railway station in western Japan, receives a birthday cake on her 16th birthday on April 29, 2015, in this file photo taken in Wakayama Prefecture. The female tortoiseshell cat died June 22, 2015, at a local animal hospital aged 16 years and two months, the equivalent of about 80 years in human age, Wakayama Electric Railway Co. said June 24. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Cat stationmaster Tama, superstar in western Japan, dies

Tama, a cat stationmaster of a railway station in western Japan, attends an event at her Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture in this file photo taken in January 2013. The female tortoiseshell cat died June 22, 2015, at a local animal hospital aged 16 years and two months, the equivalent of about 80 years in human age, Wakayama Electric Railway Co. said June 24. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Stationmaster cat 'promotes' chocolates for St. Valentine's Day

Female calico cat Tama sits as if to serve chocolates bearing the images of her and other animal faces for St. Valentine's Day at Wakayama Electric Railway Co.'s Kishi Station in Wakayama, western Japan, on Jan. 29, 2015. Tama has gained fame for acting as a stationmaster. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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Railway unveils new 'cat stationmaster' building

WAKAYAMA, Japan - Wakayama Electric Railway Co. President Mitsunobu Kojima holds Tama, the ''stationmaster'' of Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama Prefecture on Aug. 4, 2010. The company unveiled a station building which has a cat-shaped exterior and decorations of Tama, who has attracted tourists from across Japan. (Kyodo)

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Railway unveils new 'cat stationmaster' building

WAKAYAMA, Japan - People gather at the newly renovated Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line, famous for its cat ''stationmaster'' Tama, in Wakayama Prefecture on Aug. 4, 2010. Wakayama Electric Railway Co. unveiled the building which has a cat-shaped exterior and an interior with decorations of Tama, who has attracted tourists from across Japan. (Kyodo)