- This railway station in Japan has been run by cats for nearly 20 years.
A Japanese railway station recently held a ceremony to appoint its new stationmaster. Although it sounds like a brief in-office event, maybe with a cake, the event was quite unusual and has drawn both domestic and international attention.
After all, the new stationmaster is a cat.
On January 7, Wakayama Electric Railway Co. (WERC) appointed Yontama — a calico kitty — as the newest stationmaster of Kishi Station in the city of Kinokawa. She succeeds the previous kitty boss Nitama, who died in November 2025.
At the ceremony, Yontama received his uniform, consisting of the stationmaster’s cap. The top brass of the WERC attended the ceremony, including the company’s Kojima Mitsunobu.
He officially designated Yontama as Kishi Station’s new supervisor by hanging a medal bearing the stationmaster’s title around the cat’s neck.
“I hope Yontama will lead the as stationmaster at a time when local railways are at a turning point of major changes,” Mr. Kojima told Kyodo News.
Kishi Station’s previous trainee cat stationmaster Gotama also received a promotion to the new assistant stationmaster. Mr. Kojima also welcomed Rokutama as the station’s next trainee.
“I hope the cat stationmasters will continue to watch over Kishigawa Line,” said Chisako Asano, 52, who had traveled to Kinokawa specifically to watch the ceremony.
First Stationmaster
As strange as appointing a cat as a railway supervisor sounds, it is nothing new at Kishi Station. The railway stop has been overseen by cats for nearly two decades.
The tradition began in 2007 when Kishi Station appointed its first feline stationmaster, Tama. This ex-stray joined the station’s staff at a critical moment.
At the time, Kishi Station was on the brink of permanent closure due to WERC’s financial difficulties. The station’s human manager, Koyama Toshiko, got the idea of appointing Tama, whom he had adopted, as the new stationmaster.
After all conventional attempts to turn Kishi Station profitable had failed, Mr. Kojima was open to anything that would bring in money. So, Tama was appointed stationmaster in January 2007, receiving the now customary cap and medal.
Tama was an immediate hit with the public, and her fame spread like wildfire. Just in her first year, the calico increased traffic at Kishi by 17% and brought in nearly $10 million in extra income.
Seeing the results, Tama’s position as the stationmaster was secure. She continued serving in the role until June 2015, when she passed away at the age of 16.
After her death, Tama was elevated to Kishi Station’s guardian spirit and received a small shrine inside the building. Kishi Station also operates the Tama Densha Museum Train, with its cars decorated with images and informational plaques about Tama and her successors.
Worthy Successor
After Tama died, the WERC determined that Kishi Station must continue to be operated by cats. There was no one better for the job than Nitama, who had come to Kishi station in 2012 as Tama’s apprentice.
By the way, Nitama translates roughly to “Tama II.” This naming tradition has continued ever since, with the current stationmaster, Yontama, being Tama IV, and the new hire, Rokutama, being Tama VI.
Nitama was chosen as Tama’s successor because she had just the right stuff to take on his predecessor’s mantle. According to Mr. Kojima, Nitama was outgoing and (most importantly) willing to wear the stationmaster’s cap.
“The reason I appointed Nitama as a successor to Tama is that she had teaching experience from Tama directly. Tama was very mild, and she seldom got angry, though she was strict with her subordinate Nitama,” Mr. Kojima told People at the time.
Nitama served in the role for a full decade, until she sadly passed away from a long-term illness in November 2025. Roughly 500 people gathered at Kishi Station for the beloved stationmaster’s funeral on December 13, and she was also enshrined next to Tama as the second Honorary Special Stationmaster.
“She worked diligently and provided irreplaceable comfort. Nitama, please watch over Wakayama Electric Railway from heaven alongside Stationmaster Tama,” Mr. Kojima prayed at the funeral.
Skipping the Third
Following Nitama’s passing, the obvious next stationmaster should’ve Sun-tama-tama (“Round Tama III”). However, her promotion process hit an unexpected bump in the round.
Sun-tama-tama had come to work at the WERC already in 2018 as the stationmaster of Naka-ku Station. When her human caretaker was informed of Sun-tama-tama’s impending move to Kishi Station, she refused to allow the cat to relocate.
Fortunately, the WERC’s management was understanding and allowed Sun-tama-tama to remain at her current job. So, the position of Kishi Station’s stationmaster was instead passed to Yontama.
She had come to the WERC in 2017 when she was only eight months old. Until now, Yontama had served as the stationmaster of Idakiso Station, where Nitama also worked in the past.
Now, at 9 years old, Yontama will carry on Tama’s legacy at Kishi. She has big boots to fill, but we’re certain she’ll do just fine.
Cats aren’t the only animals that work in surprising positions. Check out our list of 6 hardworking animals doing important jobs.