Cat stationmaster gives hope to struggling Japan railway to draw visitors

CHIBA, Japan - A cat stationmaster at a local Japanese train station is drawing fans and boosting merchandise sales as the struggling railway operator banks on the feline's popularity to attract more tourists.

The female cat, tentatively named Nakano-san, found a home at Nakanocho Station in the port town of Choshi, Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, after being rescued by a staff member last October. Thin and suffering from a cold that kept her eyes closed, she gradually recovered and grew accustomed to people under the care of station personnel.