Maneki neko
It can only be a very short period of time before the delightful picture that goes with this story turns up recaptioned on a certain cheeseburger-related website:
Cat puts Japan rail firm on track
A loss-making Japanese railway company is back on track thanks to the popularity of a stray cat.
Wearing a black cap and posing for photos with passengers, Tama the tabby is credited with boosting Wakayama Electric Railway’s revenue by 10%.
The firm had to axe all staff at Kishi station in western Japan two years ago.
But Tama stuck by her post and was rewarded with promotion to station manager. The pet mascot even has her own office, a former ticket booth.
The feline, who was born and raised at the station in the city of Kinokawa, Wakayama prefecture, is living proof of the Japanese belief that cats are good luck. Read full story here…