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\u2019s neck as the crowd applauded.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
![\"Wakayama](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/01\/09\/ba542352-7ba1-479d-9fff-4456ba7dcf64_7bcbfc59.jpg\" "\\"Wakayama")
<\/div>The railway also introduced its newest feline recruit, Rokutama, a young calico described not as an apprentice but as a \u201cstationmaster candidate\u201d, a deliberately playful distinction that reflects the elaborate lore surrounding the line\u2019s cat staff.<\/p>\n
According to the operator\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Her official profile reads like a character sketch rather than a r\u00e9sum\u00e9: 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.<\/p>\n
For now, Rokutama will work on days when the senior cats are off duty, allowing her to ease into the role.<\/p>\n
At the ceremony, Kojima even \u201ctranslated\u201d the cat\u2019s thoughts for the crowd, joking that she was not yet a full stationmaster and asking for patience as she learned the ropes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n