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Chibi_Neko
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Joined: 23 Oct 2007
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,485
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
26 May 2008, 10:18 am
Quote:
A money-losing Japanese train company has found the purr-fect pet mascot to draw crowds and bring back business — tabby Tama
All the 9-year-old female cat does is sit by the entrance of Kishi Station in western Japan, wearing a black uniform cap and posing for photos for the tourists who are now flocking in droves from across the nation
Tama has been doing such a good job of raising revenue for the troubled Kishikawa train line that she was recently promoted to "super-station-master
"She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma," Wakayama Electric Railway Co. spokeswoman Yoshiko Yamaki told The Associated Press Monday. "She is the perfect station master
Appointing a cat to turn around fortunes makes cultural sense in Japan, where cats are considered good luck and are believed to bring in business
People are snatching up novelty goods — postcards, erasers, notebooks and pins — decorated with Tama's photos. There's even a special 1,365 yen ($13) book of photos of Tama called, "Diary of Tama, the Station Master
Tama had been on the brink of losing her place to live, with the nearby store where she was raised being torn down. Now, the station is home
Kishi Station started running without any workers in April 2006 as part of cost cuts
The Kishikawa line had been losing 500 million yen ($4.9 million) a year as passenger numbers fell steadily to as low as about 5,000 a day, or some 1.9 million a year
After Tama's appointment last year passengers have been gradually returning, recently rising 10 percent to about 2.1 million a year
In December Tama was rewarded with bonus pay — all in cat food.
All the 9-year-old female cat does is sit by the entrance of Kishi Station in western Japan, wearing a black uniform cap and posing for photos for the tourists who are now flocking in droves from across the nation
Tama has been doing such a good job of raising revenue for the troubled Kishikawa train line that she was recently promoted to "super-station-master
"She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma," Wakayama Electric Railway Co. spokeswoman Yoshiko Yamaki told The Associated Press Monday. "She is the perfect station master
Appointing a cat to turn around fortunes makes cultural sense in Japan, where cats are considered good luck and are believed to bring in business
People are snatching up novelty goods — postcards, erasers, notebooks and pins — decorated with Tama's photos. There's even a special 1,365 yen ($13) book of photos of Tama called, "Diary of Tama, the Station Master
Tama had been on the brink of losing her place to live, with the nearby store where she was raised being torn down. Now, the station is home
Kishi Station started running without any workers in April 2006 as part of cost cuts
The Kishikawa line had been losing 500 million yen ($4.9 million) a year as passenger numbers fell steadily to as low as about 5,000 a day, or some 1.9 million a year
After Tama's appointment last year passengers have been gradually returning, recently rising 10 percent to about 2.1 million a year
In December Tama was rewarded with bonus pay — all in cat food.
I think this is so cute and is a lot like the orignial legend. A cat named Tama helped make the temple he was living in wealthy.
Read all about the Maneki Neko here!
26 May 2008, 1:01 pm
Chibi_Neko
Veteran
Joined: 23 Oct 2007
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,485
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
26 May 2008, 1:35 pm
The Japanese love cute things, and the cat is often used to attract customers with cuteness.... and it works.
26 May 2008, 5:09 pm
KingdomOfRats
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Joined: 31 Oct 2005
Age: 42
Gender: Female
Posts: 4,833
Location: f'ton,manchester UK
26 May 2008, 8:47 pm
27 May 2008, 10:30 pm
