Cat hired as station chief brings passengers back to debt-ridden train company

That is the cutest cat story ever, kawaii!!!

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.

If so, never too late, get few clone cats and j-economy will be back to bubble era.

I've heard this before on tv, I wonder if it's the same place/cat. Poor thingy, not a flattering picture, it looks like it's been given milk with osake!

Cat hired as station chief

Do they pay him in fish?

Same story. It hit TV news about a week or so ago.

The increased revenue from postcards and knick-knacks is temporary at best and doesn't address the underlying problem: Why are passengers eschewing this train line, presumably in favor of other forms of transportation?

“She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place."

Can be said still about a lot of chikan incidents on trains....

All the 9-year-old female cat does is sit by the entrance of Kishi Station in western Japan

Sounds like your average ekicho to me

cats in jaunty angled hats are always a hit

I wonder how many station masters are worried about losing their jobs to stray cats...

According to this article all it takes to be a 'super station master' is to never complain, let passengers touch you all over... and have patience and charisma. Not a bad pussy actually ;) I wonder if this cat ever thought about becoming a hostess?

'flocking in droves from across the nation' ...how about using that time to get a real life ?

I bet it's employer doesn't pay it's pension insurance.

Brilliant!

Maybe the LDP can take a hint, Tama for Prime Minister