'Stationmaster' Puts $10M in Town's Kitty

Japanese hamlet cashes in on calico's popularity
Posted Oct 30, 2008 3:14 PM CDT
'Stationmaster' Puts $10M in Town's Kitty
A Japanese rail line, under construction.   (AP Photo)

The Japanese hamlet of Kishikawa has hopped aboard the Tama express, CNN reports, with the local economy getting a $10 million boost as the calico-turned-hat-wearing-stationmaster gains popularity within and beyond the nation’s borders. Folks flock to the town for a break from city life, taking pictures with the feline and buying "Super Stationmaster" merchandise. And the rail line that serves the town, once in trouble, is now healthy. (More Japan stories.)

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