Kishi Station (Wakayama)

Kishi Station (貴志駅, Kishi-eki) is a train station on the Kishigawa Line in Kinokawa, Wakayama, Japan, operated by the private railway operator Wakayama Electric Railway.

Kishi Station in August 2010

Kishi Station was known for Tama the stationmaster cat, who became the mascot for the station until she died in June 2015.[1] The cat held the official position as Super Station Master.[2][3] Tama was succeeded as Station Master by another cat, named Nitama.[4]

Since renovation, the station is housed in a cat-face-shaped building, with a Tama-theme cafe, with cat theme chairs and cakes. There is a souvenir shop with a wide range of stationery (pens, staplers and others) and Kishi Station uniforms. The Wakayama Electric Railway operates three cat-themed trains: Strawberry, Tama, and Toy.[5]

The feline stationmaster works on Friday–Tuesday (10am–4pm) and is off duty on Wednesday and Thursday.

History
The old Kishi Station

On February 1, 2010, the Kishi Station building was closed and demolished. Construction began on a new station facility in March, with the cat-themed new complex opened in July.[6]

References
  1. 「たま駅長」死ぬ―和歌山電鉄の名物駅長、心不全で １６歳、人間なら８０歳 ２８日に社葬 [Stationmaster Tama dies at age of 16]. Sankei West (in Japanese). Japan: The Sankei Shimbun & Sankei Digital. 2015-06-24. Retrieved 2015-06-24.
  2. "Tama the station cat brings passengers to Kishikawa railway line." Times Online. May 27, 2008.
  3. Lah, Kyung. "Cat in hat makes $10 million for town." CNN. October 29, 2008.
  4. Wong, Maggie Hiufu (2015-08-24). "Meet Nitama, the new cat in charge at Japan's Kishi Station". CNN.
  5. Wong, Hiufu (24 May 2013). "The cat that saved a Japanese train station: Meet Tama, Japan's cutest stationmaster, and her adorable cat-shaped station home". CNN Travel. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-01-17. Retrieved 2010-01-12.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

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