All aboard the cat train as Japan railway gets new feline stationmaster

The appointment ceremony on Wednesday drew fans, photographers and local officials to the station in Kinokawa, Wakayama prefecture, where Wakayama Electric Railway President Mitsunobu Kojima placed a medal around Yontama’s neck as the crowd applauded.

Yontama is the third cat to hold the title on the Kishigawa Line, following the death in November of her predecessor Nitama, who served for nearly a decade and has since been named honorary stationmaster.

The railway also introduced its newest feline recruit, Rokutama, a young calico described not as an apprentice but as a “stationmaster candidate”, a deliberately playful distinction that reflects the elaborate lore surrounding the line’s cat staff.

According to the operator’s own account, Rokutama was rescued as a kitten last spring after the company asked animal welfare contacts to alert it if a suitable calico appeared, a request that was answered within days.

Her official profile reads like a character sketch rather than a résumé: she is said to enjoy eating and playing alone, dislikes loud noises and nail clipping, and is described by staff as stubborn but not aggressive.

For now, Rokutama will work on days when the senior cats are off duty, allowing her to ease into the role.

At the ceremony, Kojima even “translated” the cat’s thoughts for the crowd, joking that she was not yet a full stationmaster and asking for patience as she learned the ropes.