Japan is so a lot better at transit than america. Not solely have they got high-speed rail over there, however they’ve stations with the very best stationmasters round: Cats. The nation’s Kishi Station has lengthy been well-known for its feline stationmaster, Tama, who handed away again in 2015 — however her legacy has carried on, with Kishi Station welcoming its third-generation station cat this month. That is Yontama, who was simply promoted to the station’s high job in keeping with the Japan Information.
Kishi Station is situated within the southern Japanese mainland, south of Osaka within the prefecture of Wakayama, and it was very almost shuttered the mid-2000s attributable to low ridership. By 2006, just one worker remained on the station: Tama, the calico cat who acted as stationmaster. Tama’s reputation introduced Kishi Station again from the brink, to the purpose that it was totally demolished and reworked in 2010 — with a brand new design in Tama’s picture.
Tama, Nitama, Yontama, and extra
When Tama died in 2015, she was promoted as soon as once more — from station grasp to native Shinto god. She did not go away Kishi Station with out corporeal assist, nonetheless, as her successor Nitama (Tama 4) was formally inaugurated as her successor. For those who’re questioning about Tama Three, she was despatched to Okayama for “coaching” and the station beloved her a lot they refused to present her again. Her title, Solar-tama-tama, is outwardly a pun that does not actually translate to English.
When Yontama is not on shift, her juniors Gotama (Tama 5) and Rokutama (Tama Six) cowl for her. These two additionally work over at Idakiso Station, just a few miles down the road, the place Yontama additionally labored till her promotion at Kishi. We deserve station cats like Tama, Yontama, and all the remainder right here within the states; not less than, we are going to as soon as we’ve practice stations worthy of them. Please, somebody, carry high-speed rail to the States so we are able to have cats run our stations. Think about how a lot better our lives could be.