Feline Station Masters needed for Worcester’s Railways ?
October 6, 2008
Could feline station masters hold the keys to the regeneration of Worcester’s two railway stations and provide a much needed boost to the city’s visitor economy ?
Cat boosts economy of Japanese city
In the face of global economic gloom, a cat has provided a spectacular boost to the finances of a small Japanese city.
AFP reports that a study credits nine-year-old tortoiseshell Tama as the key figure in the millions of dollars banked by the city of Kinokawa in western Japan.
The famous feline is the official master of the unmanned Kishi railway station on the provincial Kishigawa line in Kinokawa. But it isn’t her ability to help travellers or stamp tickets that has bought the cash rolling in.
Tama’s regular appearances at the station wearing the formal black cap of the Wakayama Electric Railway have caused tourists to flock to Kinokawa in droves. Her appointment makes cultural sense in Japan, a nation where cats are considered good luck and are believed to boost ailing businesses.
According to a recently published study, 55,000 more people have used the Kishigawa Line than would normally be expected. As a result, Tama is being credited with a contribution to the local economy calculated to have reached as much as 1.1 billion yen (almost £6 million). The publicity generated by the celebrity cat – including a recent television appearance – is estimated as being worth 280 million yen (approx £1.5 million) alone.
Despite her national fame, it seems Tama is keeping her paws firmly on the ground. Although her hard work was recognised with a promotion to “super station master“, she remains content being paid in cat food.
Entry Filed under: Cat Stories. .
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