In the process, she received a dark blue ceremonial gown with white lace neck ruffles, and thousands of tourists began coming to the small, single-platform station to see her. Reo (“Leo”) Fuku (“Lucky”) In an ode to Tama, the outsides of Tamaden’s two white carriages are now decorated with paw prints and 101 cartoon images of Tama, including Tama enjoying a satisfying stretch, cheerfully licking a paw and mischievously poised to pounce. She’s currently an employee of Japan’s Okayama Electric Tramway and serves as the acting director of the Okaden Museum. So, it’s no wonder that Tama is so popular. On January 5, 2007, railway officials officially awarded Tama the title of station master. In general, Japanese names ending in -shi, -ro, -o or -ta, or which contain the elements dai, ichi, ji or kazu are male. By the time Tama passed away in 2015, she was 16 years old and had appeared in prominent TV shows, magazines and newspapers across Japan. If you pick one of these names, it’s almost a guarantee that no other cats you know will have the same one. [3] In April 2006, the Wakayama Electric Railway destaffed all stations on the Kishigawa Line to cut costs. In a big way. 1089 Tama (多摩), an asteroid; TAMA 300, a gravitational wave detector; Tama, a genus of spiders; Tama (cat), a cat who was a stationmaster of a Japanese railway station; Tama Art University, a Japanese private art school In the western world, a Japanese name is often considered an elegant and unique choice for a cat name. The kitten lived near Kishi Station – the final of 14 stops on a 14.3km line that connects small communities to Wakayama City, the region’s hub ­– and would frequently hang out by the railway, soaking up affection from commuters. “Having her around the station makes everyone happy,” he said, as the cat playfully swiped at a tourist’s iPhone. Inspiring More Animal Station Masters . Join more than three million BBC Travel fans by liking us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. This small railway stood on the brink of bankruptcy until it had a most unexpected savior, a stray cat. Some of the most common themes that would appear in Takahashi’s work were nature scenes, Edo-era landscapes, and of course portraits of cats. I initially considered naming him "Tama" after the cat in Kamichu and the train station master , but I've realized both those cats are female. The station started to make Tama the Cat merchandise, which tourists happily bought up. Tama’s duty is napping in her office (a converted ticket booth) and her salary is practical -- an unlimited supply of cat food. If you ever visit Japan, you will find no shortage of cat statues to take home as a souvenir. In a nation that seems especially fond of felines, Tama and her successors have not only brought plenty of good fortune to the Kishigawa Line, they’ve also carved a place in many Japanese people’s hearts. Tama appeared in a documentary about cats titled La Voie du chat in French and Katzenlektionen in German by Italian filmmaker Myriam Tonelotto, broadcast on European TV channel ARTE in April 2009. Japanese for […] 100 Cat Names that Start with C - CatVills - […] Calamari– One of the funnier Japanese food names for female cats. If you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features newsletter called "The Essential List". Mike, Kuro, & Tama. Tama is a popular name … Every year on June 23, the anniversary of Tama's death, her successors Nitama and Yontama are carried to her shrine and offerings are presented by the company president on their behalf. Meet Yontama, the latest in a line of feline stationmasters that has helped save the Kishigawa railway line in Japan’s Wakayama prefecture, a … “The station comes alive as a cat when the eyes light up,” Yamaki said. Once things become like this, protecting the Master, the happiness of the Master becomes foremost and Cat stops thinking about her own joy. Not only did Tama’s sweet nature and photogenic features make her popular with commuters on the Kishigawa railway, but the ‘cat master’ became so famous she was knighted. Kiyo is … More than 10 Japanese ‘cat islands’, where hundreds of felines roam free, have become popular tourist destinations; as have Tokyo’s many pay-to-pet cat cafes. The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in Wakayama Prefecture in 2007. [21] Born in Okayama City in 2010, Nitama was rescued from under a train car and adopted by Okayama Electric Tramway. [15], On January 6, 2011, Tama's fourth year as stationmaster was celebrated with a ceremony and her promotion to "Managing Executive Officer", third in line in management after the company president and the managing director. It is located in 10 minutes from Tama Center Station on foot. After the traditional fifty day mourning period, Tama was succeeded by her deputy, Nitama. It waits until a potential target is in range, then suddenly catches it. She also got paws-on at the station, sometimes greeting passengers from atop a table set up by the ticket gates or from the behind the glass window of her ‘office’ – a converted ticket booth equipped with a litter tray and bed. Tora (“Tiger”) 10 (tie). The cat beckons the warrior forward just as a large branch crashes to the ground and lands right where the warlord had previously stood. In fact, they sold so much Tama merchandise that the train company was even able to pay off its debts! Maybe so. あらぶるネコの波動 … Sora, last year’s most popular male name, tumbled down several spots but still managed to hold on to a spot on the list, which also included the macho samurai-like Kotaro and Kotetsu. The calico cat was appointed stationmaster at the Kishi station in western Japan in 2007 and died early last week. "Congratulations !! You may also be interested in: Japanese Names for Male Cats - With Meanings. The famous Maneki-neko cat figurines, with their beckoning left paw, are said to bring good fortune to businesses, which has led them to be placed inside storefront windows across the globe. It's close to Sanrio Puroland. On October 28, 2008, Tama was knighted and awarded the title of Wakayama de Knight (a pun on "It's got to be Wakayama" in Japanese) by the prefectural governor, Yoshinobu Nishizaka, for her work in promoting local tourism. Best of all, although Japanese cat names are popular, there is little chance that some of your neighbors will name their cat the same as you. Stray Cat(ストレイ・キャット (猫草),Sutorei Kyatto) is a Standappearing in Diamond is Unbreakable after Tama diedand was laterbrought back to life when its Stand activated where it was buried. We know that before giving a name to your cat you will look for many different options and you do well! The cat had climbed the corporate ladder from stationmaster to “ultra-stationmaster” and vice president of the company before receiving the additional title Sunday of “honorable eternal stationmaster.” In chapter 58 of the Japanese manga Noragami, published a few months after her death and deification, the authors honored Tama with the "rookie of the year award" as a new goddess of fortune in an in-universe ranking of the most popular Shinto deities. Topics Japan Wakayama Railway runs only 15 km, connecting Wakayama City and the small town of Kishi. Top ten overall cat names. The $10MILLION cat in the hat: Meet Tama the feline station master who helped save Japanese railway from bankruptcy . [13], In January 2010, railway officials promoted Tama to the post of "Operating Officer" in recognition of her contribution to expanding the customer base. To capitalise on the region’s Tama craze, in 2010 the railway hired award-winning industrial designer Eiji Mitooka – known for his sleek Japanese bullet trains – to completely redesign the train’s exteriors and interiors as a Tama-themed line. Tama was so adored by riders and railway staff that a painted portrait of her was soon commissioned, which now hangs alongside numerous glossy photos of her in Kishi Station’s souvenir shop – where visitors can buy everything from Tama badges and keyrings to Tama-branded candy. Tama would later take up Liza's family name "Kishreshgalza" after being conferred the Honorary Chevalier title and rank. 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