(01 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志川線・貴志駅の「たま」駅長（写真中央）。同駅は無人駅で、駅の広告塔として駅売店の飼猫「たま」（メス、７歳）が駅長として今年１月に任命された（和歌山・紀の川市） \n\n撮影日：2007年02月17日 (credit:時事通信社)
(02 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志川線・貴志駅の「たま」駅長（写真中央）。同駅は無人駅で、駅の広告塔として駅売店の飼猫「たま」（メス、７歳）が駅長として２００７年１月に任命された。写真後方は飼い主の小山利子さん（和歌山・紀の川市） \n\n撮影日：2007年02月17日 (credit:時事通信社)
(03 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志川線・貴志駅で売店経営の小山利子さんに抱かれるたま駅長と小嶋光信社長（右）。 \n\n撮影日：2008年07月20日 (credit:時事通信社)
(04 of29)
Open Image Modal夏用の白い制帽をかぶり「勤務」するたま駅長。 \n\n撮影日：2008年08月08日 (credit:時事通信社)
This file picture taken on May 22, 2008(05 of29)
Open Image ModalThis file picture taken on May 22, 2008 shows a nine-year-old female cat \'Tama\' wears a stationmaster\'s cap of Wakayama Electric Railway at the Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture. The stationmaster cat Tama has economic impact of 1.1 billion yen (10 million USD) in a year and increased some 86,000 passengers, news reported. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
This file picture taken on May 22, 2008(06 of29)
Open Image ModalThis file picture taken on May 22, 2008 shows a nine-year-old female cat \'Tama\' wears a stationmaster\'s cap of Wakayama Electric Railway at the Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture. The stationmaster cat Tama has economic impact of 1.1 billion yen (10 million USD) in a year and increased some 86,000 passengers, news reported. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
A woman strokes "Tama", a nine-year-old(07 of29)
Open Image ModalA woman strokes \'Tama\', a nine-year-old female tortoiseshell cat wearing a stationmaster\'s cap of the Wakayama Electric Railway, as the feline sits on a ticket gate at Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture on May 22, 2008. The number of passengers who travel along the line increased 10 percent for the year to March 2007 from the previous year, credited to Tama after the \'stationmaster\' cat appeared at the unmanned small station. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
A woman strokes "Tama", a nine-year-old(08 of29)
Open Image ModalA woman strokes \'Tama\', a nine-year-old female tortoiseshell cat wearing a stationmaster\'s cap of the Wakayama Electric Railway, as the feline sits on a ticket gate at Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture on May 22, 2008. The number of passengers who travel along the line increased 10 percent for the year to March 2007 from the previous year, credited to Tama after the \'stationmaster\' cat appeared at the unmanned small station. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
Wearing a stationmaster's cap of Wakayam(09 of29)
Open Image ModalWearing a stationmaster\'s cap of Wakayama Electric Railway, the nine-year-old female tortoiseshell cat named \'Tama\' sits on a ticket gate at Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture on May 22, 2008. The number of passengers who travel along the line increased 10 percent for the year to March 2007 from the previous year, credited to Tama after the \'stationmaster\' cat appeared at the unmanned small station. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
A woman tries to take a photo of "Tama",(10 of29)
Open Image ModalA woman tries to take a photo of \'Tama\', a nine-year-old female tortoiseshell cat wearing a formal stationmaster\'s cap of the Wakayama Electric Railway, as the feline sits on a ticket gate at Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture on May 22, 2008. The number of passengers who travel along the line increased 10 percent for the year to March 2007 from the previous year, credited to Tama after the \'stationmaster\' cat appeared at the unmanned small station. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
School girls admire "Tama", a nine-year-(11 of29)
Open Image ModalSchool girls admire \'Tama\', a nine-year-old female tortoiseshell cat wearing a stationmaster\'s cap of the Wakayama Electric Railway, as the feline sits on a ticket gate at Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture on May 22, 2008. The number of passengers who travel along the line increased 10 percent for the year to March 2007 from the previous year, credited to Tama after the \'stationmaster\' cat appeared at the unmanned small station. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
Wearing a stationmaster's cap of the Wak(12 of29)
Open Image ModalWearing a stationmaster\'s cap of the Wakayama Electric Railway, the nine-year-old female tortoiseshell cat named \'Tama\' sits on a ticket gate at Kishi station on the Kishigawa line in the city of Kinokawa, in Wakayama prefecture on May 22, 2008. The number of passengers who travel along the line increased 10 percent for the year to March 2007 from the previous year, credited to Tama after the \'stationmaster\' cat appeared at the unmanned small station. AFP PHOTO/Toru YAMANAKA (Photo credit should read TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
(13 of29)
Open Image Modal貴志川線の「たま電車」デザイン発表祭。「駅長」の三毛猫「たま」も出席した（和歌山市） \n\n撮影日：2008年10月18日 (credit:時事通信社)
(14 of29)
Open Image Modalたま駅長の首に「県勲功爵」のバッジを着ける和歌山県の仁坂吉伸知事（和歌山・紀の川市） \n\n撮影日：2008年10月28日 (credit:時事通信社)
(15 of29)
Open Image Modal三毛猫「たま」をモチーフにした「たま電車」の車内（和歌山市） \n\n撮影日：2009年03月21日 (credit:時事通信社)
(16 of29)
Open Image Modal三毛猫「たま」をモチーフにした「たま電車」の車内（和歌山市） \n\n撮影日：2009年03月21日 (credit:時事通信社)
(17 of29)
Open Image Modal三毛猫「たま」をモチーフにした「たま電車」のイラストなどが描かれた車体（和歌山市） \n\n撮影日：2009年03月21日 (credit:時事通信社)
(18 of29)
Open Image Modal三毛猫「たま」をモチーフにした「たま電車」のイラストなどが描かれた車体（和歌山市） \n\n撮影日：2009年03月21日 (credit:時事通信社)
(19 of29)
Open Image Modal (credit:時事通信社)
(20 of29)
Open Image Modal完成した「たまバス」に乗り込むたま駅長と小嶋光信和歌山電鉄社長（和歌山市伊太祈曽） \n\n撮影日：2010年04月07日 (credit:時事通信社)
(21 of29)
Open Image Modal完成した「たまバス」に乗り込むたま駅長と小嶋光信和歌山電鉄社長（和歌山市伊太祈曽） \n\n撮影日：2010年04月07日 (credit:時事通信社)
(22 of29)
Open Image Modal完成した「たまバス」とたま駅長（和歌山市伊太祈曽） \n\n撮影日：2010年04月07日 (credit:時事通信社)
(23 of29)
Open Image Modal完成した「たまバス」とたま駅長（和歌山市伊太祈曽） \n\n撮影日：2010年04月07日 (credit:時事通信社)
(24 of29)
Open Image Modalネコの「たま駅長」で知られる和歌山電鉄貴志川線貴志駅（和歌山県紀の川市）の新駅舎が完成、４日から公開された。多くの見物客が押し寄せた駅舎は、たま駅長をモチーフにネコの顔をデザイン化。駅としては、非常に珍しい檜皮（ひわだ）ぶきの屋根を採用し、屋根上の耳や目が特徴になっている。駅舎内には、「ねこ神社」など三つの神社をつくったほか、地元の果物を使ったジュースやジェラートなどが楽しめる「たまカフェ」などもある。 \n\n撮影日：2010年08月04日 (credit:時事通信社)
Railway unveils new 'cat stationmaster' building(25 of29)
Open Image ModalWAKAYAMA, Japan - Wakayama Electric Railway Co. President Mitsunobu Kojima holds Tama, the \'\'stationmaster\'\' of Kishi Station on the Kishigawa Line in Wakayama Prefecture on Aug. 4, 2010. The company unveiled a station building which has a cat-shaped exterior and decorations of Tama, who has attracted tourists from across Japan. (Kyodo) (credit:*/AP)
(26 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志駅前で開かれた結婚式に参列した同駅の三毛猫スーパー駅長「たま」（左下）（和歌山・紀の川市） \n\n撮影日：2010年10月24日 (credit:時事通信社)
(27 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志駅前で開かれた結婚式に参列した同駅の三毛猫スーパー駅長「たま」（左下）（和歌山・紀の川市） \n\n撮影日：2010年10月24日 (credit:時事通信社)
(28 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志川線貴志駅の駅長を務める三毛猫の「たま駅長」がこのほど、１４歳の誕生日を迎えた。人間に例えると約７０歳であることにちなみ、古希の祝いを開催し、プレゼントを受け取った＝４月２９日午前、和歌山県紀の川市 \n\n撮影日：2013年04月29日 (credit:時事通信社)
(29 of29)
Open Image Modal和歌山電鉄貴志川線貴志駅の駅長を務める三毛猫の「たま」が２９日、１５歳の誕生日を迎えた。人間に例えると７７歳に当たることから、喜寿の祝いを開いた。プレゼントは、健康長寿祈願の札やジャガイモでできた生地に肉や魚を詰め込んだ特製ケーキ。高齢ながら毛の艶が良く歯も丈夫なため、今後も元気な姿を見せられるという。 \n\n撮影日：0000年00月00日 (credit:時事通信社)