the railway’s revival hasn’t solely been due to the cats
May 24, 2019 10:58 AM Subscribe
On a bright May morning at Japan’s Idakiso train station, a small cat basked in the sun as her photo was taken by a group of tourists before getting a tummy tickle from a toddler. While the white, tan and black kitten purred and meowed in the arms of a visitor, one of the station workers looked on with a grin, interjecting only to gently reposition the cat’s brimmed conductor hat whenever it threatened to slip over her eyes. “Having her around the station makes everyone happy. I sometimes forget that she is my boss. previously
I named my conductor cat in Neko Atsume “Tama.” What else?
Yes, I still play Neko Atsume; I would feel bad if I didn’t occasionally give my digital cats food....
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:32 AM on May 24, 2019 [10 favorites]
Yes, I still play Neko Atsume; I would feel bad if I didn’t occasionally give my digital cats food....
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:32 AM on May 24, 2019 [10 favorites]
Meet Yontama, the latest in a line of feline stationmasters that has helped save the Kishigawa railway line in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture, a largely mountainous and rural part of the country famous for temple-studded hillsides and sacred pilgrimage trails.
Bastet's priestesses
posted by hugbucket at 11:41 AM on May 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
Bastet's priestesses
posted by hugbucket at 11:41 AM on May 24, 2019 [1 favorite]
I love Tama. I love her successors. What I'm not so sure that I love is that after Tama's promotion to super station master in 2008, she became "the only female in a managerial position" in the company.
posted by heatherlogan at 11:50 AM on May 24, 2019 [14 favorites]
posted by heatherlogan at 11:50 AM on May 24, 2019 [14 favorites]
All cats are gods and goddesses. It pleases me to see Tama and her successors recognized as such.
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:56 AM on May 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:56 AM on May 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
All cats are gods and goddesses. It pleases me to see Tama and her successors recognized as such.
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:56 AM on May 24 [+] [!]
Crookshanks approves of your attitude.
posted by "mad dan" eccles at 12:27 PM on May 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 11:56 AM on May 24 [+] [!]
Crookshanks approves of your attitude.
posted by "mad dan" eccles at 12:27 PM on May 24, 2019 [2 favorites]
This made me so happy, I needed something light to read during lunch. What a wonderful life Tama had, and the conductor hat is just too cute!
posted by honey badger at 1:41 PM on May 24, 2019
posted by honey badger at 1:41 PM on May 24, 2019
Where can I get one of those hats? Asking for a fr.... my boss.
posted by ktkt at 4:47 PM on May 24, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by ktkt at 4:47 PM on May 24, 2019 [4 favorites]
So sweet!
posted by doctornemo at 5:28 PM on May 24, 2019
posted by doctornemo at 5:28 PM on May 24, 2019
after Tama's promotion to super station master in 2008, she became "the only female in a managerial position" in the company.
The tiny railway company in question has a grand total of 26 employees. Unarguably there's a lot to criticize about gender inequality in Japan, but it seems like there might be more effective places to focus that criticism.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:18 AM on May 25, 2019 [3 favorites]
The tiny railway company in question has a grand total of 26 employees. Unarguably there's a lot to criticize about gender inequality in Japan, but it seems like there might be more effective places to focus that criticism.
posted by Umami Dearest at 7:18 AM on May 25, 2019 [3 favorites]
Now I know how these people got their cats lodged in their railway infrastructure.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:13 AM on May 25, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:13 AM on May 25, 2019 [5 favorites]
What good kitties!
posted by mixedmetaphors at 11:16 AM on May 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by mixedmetaphors at 11:16 AM on May 25, 2019 [1 favorite]
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I may have to rethink my agnosticism...
posted by darkstar at 11:19 AM on May 24, 2019 [20 favorites]