An inauguration ceremony was held on the 17th at a JR Geibi Line station in Hiroshima City, where two cats were appointed as station master and deputy station master in hopes of increasing the number of passengers and revitalizing the region.
At Shiwaguchi Station on the JR Geibi Line in Asakita Ward, Hiroshima City, two cats have been appointed as the stationmaster, ``Yamato'' and ``Chidori'', the deputy stationmaster.
Approximately 300 people, including local residents, gathered for the inauguration ceremony, and when the two animals appeared in a hug, the venue was filled with loud applause.
At Shiwaguchi Station, "Ryoma", who went from being a stray cat to becoming the first cat stationmaster, was popular for about 10 years until he took his last breath in 2019. Officials are looking for a successor, and this time more than 100 cats have been collected. A new cat stationmaster and deputy stationmaster were selected from among stray cats.
The two animals were chosen based on their friendliness with people, but on the 17th, they seemed surprised by the large crowd and left the venue immediately after being unveiled.
From now on, in addition to greeting passengers at the ``Ryoma Stationmaster Memorial Hall'' in front of the station, he also plans to patrol the area around the station once he gets used to it.
A woman visiting from Kagoshima Prefecture said, ``I've been a fan since Ryoma was the first stationmaster, and I came here to see how the two cats took office.They're very cute, and I think they'll become everyone's idol cats.'' We were talking.
Hideki Nakahara, director of the Ryoma Stationmaster Memorial Museum, said, ``I was happy that so many people gathered.I hope it will revitalize the area and encourage the use of the Geibi Line.''