📖 Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line

The Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line is a local tram line connecting Wakayama Station and Kishigawa Station, with a total length of 14.3 kilometers. Originally operated by a large company, it was set to cease operations due to years of losses. However, driven by the passionate activities of local residents advocating for the line's continuation, the government actively sought a successor operator, and in 2006, it was relaunched as the Wakayama Electric Railway. After the Wakayama Electric Railway began operations, Mr. Takeshi Mito from the renowned "DON DESIGN Institute," known for professionally designing railway trains, took charge and successively introduced unique sightseeing trains such as the "Strawberry Train." Later, the station master position was filled by a cat named "Tama," raised by a shop next to Kishigawa Station, which attracted crowds. Fans from all over the country flocked to meet "Station Master Tama." Currently, the Kishigawa Line has four types of sightseeing trains: the "Strawberry Train," "Tama Train," "Plum Train," and the "Tama Train Museum Train," which began operations in December 2021. Any of these trains only require a regular fare ticket. When Kishigawa Station was renovated in 2010, a café was added, transforming it into the "Tama Museum Kishigawa Station," which is now managed by the super station master "Second Generation Tama."

The revival before the line's closure became a nationally known news story. The once-popular cat station master "Koyuki." Sightseeing trains like the "Koyuki Electric Train Museum" only require a regular ticket price. The exterior of Kishi Station resembles a cat's face and is a wooden station with a roof covered in cypress bark. The "Koyuki Station Master" merchandise is also very popular.