The Story Of How Tama, The Train Station Cat, Became The Patron Goddess Of The Station

Author image for AmyBrown
AmyBrown
May 20, 2019 10:00 AM EDT

This is the story of Tama, the calico cat, who became Japan's feline star of a struggling local railway, Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line, in Wakayama Prefecture, turned legend and Goddess of the station. 

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to start your Caturday with the funniest felines on the internet!

Advertisement
  • 01

    The start of it all:

    Photo caption - A cat named Tama is a station master at a railway station in Japan. Her primary duty is to greet passengers, a job which pays her in cat food. During her tenure ridership has increased 10%, leading her to be promoted to super-station master in 2008. Ultrafacts.tumblr.com
    via Did You Know

    Tama, a calico cat, was first appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007. Donning her custom-made stationmaster's cap, Tama quietly sat at the ticket gate welcoming and seeing off passengers. It wasn't long until Tama became wide-known, attracting tourists and world-famous. In turn, contributing to the railway company (that had been struggling) and the local economy.

  • 02

    Dressed for success

    Cat - bobdascon.pet
    via Did You Know

    Before Tama's arrival, the local Kishigawa Line was near-bankrupt; and the station was unmanned as it had lost its last staff.

    Mr. Kojima, Wakayama Electric Railway president, said appointing Tama as stationmaster was initially an excuse to keep the cat at the station. "But she was really doing her job," he said. The rest was a miracle, and his company's success story also gave hope for dozens of other struggling tiny local train lines.

  • 03

    Keeping a watchful eye on patrons

    Cat - TAMA OFFICE
    via Did You Know
  • 04

    Tama, the train conductor, reporting for duty!

    Cat
    via Did You Know
  • 05

    Adored by all

    Cosplay
    via Did You Know
  • 06

    The train got a new look -- all thanks to Tama

    Transport - THE TRAINS HAVE CARTOON TAMAS ON THEM TAMADE
    via Did You Know
  • 07

    In 2015, Tama unfortunately passed away but residents and admirers came flooding to her funeral to share their appreciation

    Community - ULTRA ultrafacts FACT Sad update everyone, Tama recently passed away... An estimated 3,000 people, including railway officials, attended Tama the cat's funeral on Sunday, days after she died of heart failure aged 16. [X]
    via Did You Know

    Tama, who had turned 16 in April, died of heart failure on June 22, 2015. And it was during Tama's Sunday's Shinto-style funeral, she became a goddess. 

  • 08

    So much love for Tama

    Selling
    via Did You Know

    In one of several portraits decorating the altar, Tama posed in a stationmaster's hat and a dark blue cape. Sake, watermelon, apples, cabbage, and other fruits and vegetables were presented to the cat. 

  • 09

    A stand outside the station was heaped with bouquets, canned tuna and other gifts left by thousands of Tama fans who came to pray from around the country.

    Art
    via Did You Know
  • 10

    Tama becomes a unforgettable legend

    Text - retro-geek For those who haven't read articles about it, the local shrine elevated her to a god. She's now the Eternal Stationmaster and patron god of the station. karinanotcinerina Beautiful system-fail-ure Now I'm crying thanks sapphic-matriarchy and a new cat was hired right?
    via Did You Know
  • 11

    Nitama steps up to the plate

    Cat - clarenecessities yep! her name is Nitama (essentially "second tama" or "tama Il") and she served under Tama as an apprentice before being appointed her deputy she works very hard
    via Did You Know

    According to the Telegraph, "An exhaustive search and thorough selection process followed the June passing of the former cat in charge, the beloved Tama, who had been in the role since 2007, and now the station has found her replacement, Nitama.

    The five-year-old, a graduate of Cat Stationmaster Training School, previously served as the stationmaster at Idakiso Station before being promoted to Tama's deputy at Kishi in the rural neighborhood of Kinokawa."

    "The reason I appointed Nitama as a successor to Tama is that she had teaching experience from Tama directly," he said. "Tama was very mild and she seldom got angry, though she was strict with her subordinate Nitama."

  • 12

    The protege Yontama

    Cat - beasti Everytime this crosses my dash, I reblog. It is the law. lafayettelabaguette Law tooiconic I'm crying at 11pm over train cats sighinastorm Nitama, already now a mature cat (bom 2010), has a protege named Yontama (fourth Tama, b. 2016) There is no information available for either the physical befellment or traqic self-disgrace which has removed Santama from contention.
    via Did You Know
  • 13

    The legacy lives on

    Dog - Nitama majestic, and below with Yontama Yontama. 4 linkislost a legacy
    via Did You Know
  • 14

    An honorable legacy, indeed.

    Text - Ш SI a legacy bemusedlybespectacled okay but actually what happened to santama (or sun-tama-tama, which is her name because it's a pun on santama) was that she was basically sent to train for the position in okayama and they liked her so much they refused to send her back kindaoffkilter "Sun-tama-tama" (a pun off of "Santama", lit. "third Tama") was a calico cat sent for training in Okayama. Sun-tama-tama was considered as a candidate for Tama's successor, but the Okayama Public Relations
    via Did You Know

    Certainly makes the world seem like a better place knowing these beautiful cats are at Japan train stations, respected for all their hard work. 

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

Japan
Scroll Down For The Next Article