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Japanese railway celebrates 10th anniversary of cat 'stationmaster'

By Daniel Uria
A Japanese railway station celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its feline 'stationmaster' Tama, who died in 2015. The station also introduced its newest recruit -- an 8-month-old calico cat named Yontama.
 Photo by Sanpei/Wikimedia Commons
A Japanese railway station celebrated the 10-year anniversary of its feline 'stationmaster' Tama, who died in 2015. The station also introduced its newest recruit -- an 8-month-old calico cat named Yontama. Photo by Sanpei/Wikimedia Commons

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WAKAYAMA, Japan, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- A Japanese railway station celebrated the tenth anniversary of its late cat 'stationmaster' on Thursday.

The calico cat named Tama served as the stationmaster for Wakayama Electric Railway's Kishi from 2007 to 2015 when she died and was commemorated with the "Tama Shrine."

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More than 100 fans including Wakayama Gov. Yoshinobu Nisaka and Wakayama Electric Railway President Mitsunobu Kojima gathered for a ceremony to remember Tama, who was credited with saving the railway from financial struggles, according to Japan Times.

The station also introduced its newest stationmaster recruit, an 8-month-old calico cat named Yontama, who will join the present stationmaster Nitama beginning next week.

"I have been a fan of Stationmaster Tama for more than 10 years," 22-year-old Kanna Matsumoto said. "Yontama is also adorable. I hope she will keep the station lively."

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