--- title: Japan's Cutest (Feline) Stationmaster Has Died at 16 description: Japan's most famous (and only) feline train stationmaster died Monday at an animal hospital canonical: https://time.com/3935123/cats-japan-trains-world-train-station-rails/ author: Alissa Greenberg article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-25T08:56:38.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:48:22.707Z og:title: Japan's Cutest (Feline) Stationmaster Has Died at 16 og:description: The most adorable ticket collector you've ever seen. og:url: https://time.com/3935123/cats-japan-trains-world-train-station-rails/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3828ed1a55444705/6988583d0a4a22027f9c4e0c/81228249.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: School girls admire "Tama", a nine-year- og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Japan's Cutest (Feline) Stationmaster Has Died at 16 twitter:description: The most adorable ticket collector you've ever seen. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt3828ed1a55444705/6988583d0a4a22027f9c4e0c/81228249.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Japan's Cutest (Feline) Stationmaster Has Died at 16 > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=ae766aee-b7e2-4e26-afd5-86b62af972e1&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Paying for Petting Time in Japan's Cat Cafes [Watch (HLS stream): Paying for Petting Time in Japan's Cat Cafes](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/HhzXsIjc.m3u8) (3:38)  _Published 2010-06-28. In Osaka, Japan, where many apartment dwellers aren't allowed to keep pets, cat fanciers spend time with their favorite felines at the Cats’ Time Cafe_ by [Alissa Greenberg](https://time.com/author/alissa-greenberg/) ## Alissa Greenberg Jun 25, 2015 8:56 AM UTC  Schoolgirls admire Tama as the feline sits on a ticket gate at Kishi Station in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture, Japan, on May 22, 2008 Schoolgirls admire Tama as the feline sits on a ticket gate at Kishi Station in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture, Japan, on May 22, 2008 Toru Yamanaka—AFP/Getty Images by [Alissa Greenberg](https://time.com/author/alissa-greenberg/) ## Alissa Greenberg Jun 25, 2015 8:56 AM UTC Like many of our most famous and beloved celebrities, she had only one name: Tama, a tortoiseshell renowned for her jaunty hat and cool smirk, was Japan’s most [famous](http://travel.cnn.com/cat-saves-japanese-train-station-586471) (and only) feline train stationmaster. She [died](http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/25/travel/japan-station-cat-tama-dies/index.html) Monday at an animal hospital in Wakayama prefecture aged 16, having worked at her post in a converted ticket booth in Kishi Station for almost eight years. Tama first rose to fame when she was appointed stationmaster at Kishi, a secluded hamlet of at the end of a rail line that had changed hands after closing from disuse, CNN reports. She was whisked away from a simple life at the village grocery store and given a new perch at the station entrance, soon to find herself on posters, T-shirts, stickers and even the center of a themed café. It didn’t take long for stardom to come knocking. The number of passengers on the train line jumped from 1.92 million in 2005 to 2.27 million in 2014, [according](http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/06/25/national/wakayamas-popular-stationmaster-cat-tama-16-dies/#.VYuvBhOqpBd) to the _Japan Times_. In fact, the new stationmaster had so many visitors that an Osaka University study estimates that Tama’s popularity added $10 million into the local economy. Many credit her for single-handedly saving both the station and its train line. Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka paid tribute to Tama in a statement to the _Japan Times_, saying the late stationmaster “contributed greatly to promoting tourism in our prefecture. I am filled with deep sorrow and appreciation.” Tama is survived by her apprentice, Nitama, who takes her workload of eating, sleeping and upholding the local economy as seriously as her illustrious predecessor. Tama’s funeral will be held at Kishi Station on June 28. \[[_CNN_](http://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/25/travel/japan-station-cat-tama-dies/index.html)\] ## Transcript >> It's feeding time at Cats' Time Café, the most frenzied time of the day here at this café in one of Osaka, Japan's trendiest neighborhoods. But the café isn't for the cats. It's for cat fanciers like Michiko Otta. She comes weekly to pet and feed the 21 cats here. Like many Japanese apartment dwellers, she's not allowed to keep cats in her small apartment. -[ Foreign language ] >> When I come here, I feel like playing with the cats. And after that, I like to take my time and quietly observe the cats. It makes me feel relaxed and comfortable. >> Otta spends her days working in a metal factory, so her time at the café is a welcome break. Here, she says she can touch and feel warm fur instead of cold metal. >> Kichan, this cat here, is the most similar to me. >> The café charges ¥ 840, the equivalent of 9 U. S. dollars for an hour of cat- petting time. Otta usually spends three to four hours at the café. So, she buys the $ 16 entrance, which gets her unlimited time with the cats, plus a drink. Café owner Yoko Yoshida previously worked at a dog grooming shop, but her love of cats went out. She came up with the idea for the Cats' Time Café, called Neko no Jikan in Japanese, while sipping coffee at a comic book- themed café. -[ Foreign language ] >> It hit me. If cats were at this café, I would feel even more relaxed. I gathered lots of my favorite cats and opened this café. -[ Foreign language ] >> I felt like I made my dream come true. >> Yoshida opened Osaka's first cat café five years ago, and added a second branch last year. -[ Foreign language ] >> It was necessary for cat lovers to get out of their houses more, and touch cats and talk about cats with one another. >> These cats take their lounging duty seriously and spend much of the day sitting and sleeping wherever they want. -[ Foreign language ] >> Just looking at the cats is fun. Time goes by slowly here. >> If I pet them or hug them, I can lose my stress and I can get the energy. >> It's not only women who flock to the café. June Shirosaki says watching cats stroll about helps him forget the worries of his job. -[ Foreign language ] >> At the office, I always have to be aware of the people around me, which is stressful. But here, I can watch the cats living on the natural free world, and I can take it easy. >> The café occasionally draws foreign customers, like first- time visitor Igor Almeida of Brazil. >> It's different. It's-- you can interact with the cats. This is completely new. Here in Japan, I think there's an interesting love for cats that maybe we don't have. >> There are other types of animal cafés in Japan, including establishments with dogs, bunnies, and even birds. 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