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Wakayama's Late Cat Stationmaster Inducted Into Hall of Fame
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Kishi Station in Kinokawa, Wakayama lost a local celebrity, Tama the Stationmaster, last year at the ripe cat-age of 16 years. Tama brought in throngs of tourists and boosted the station's overall business to 2.27 million passengers in 2014, from 1.92 million in 2005. The station sold photos and merchandise of the tortoise-shell feline and she was summarily promoted again to acting president of Wakayama Electric Railway in 2013.
The prefecture's government has since introduced its own Hall of Fame specifically for people and animals that bring positive attention to the area. The prefecture honored Tama as the first inductee into the Hall of Fame on February 2. A copper relief of the cat measuring 35cm by 45cm was unveiled at the Wakayama Prefectural Library with Wakayama govenor Yoshinobu Nisaka and Wakayama Electric Railway President Mitsunobu Kojima.
Kojima, who also attended Tama's funeral, stated he heard the cat's voice recently. Tama told him she, "feels embarrassed but I'm happy (for the Hall of Fame listing)."
"I wanted to honor Tama. I want to make sure that her achievements will go down in history," govenor Nisaki said at the Hall of Fame press conference.
Since Tama's passing, the railway hired Nitama (Tama the 2nd) to take over her duties. Tama became "Tama Daimyojin" at her funeral, a title that designates the cat as a local deity. She was also bestowed the title "honorable eternal stationmaster" and has a shrine installed at Kishi Station.
Source: Jiji at The Japan Times, Kyodo News
