About this tour
When Lily from our BugBitten team hopped the Kishigawa Line out of Wakayama, it was immediately clear why this railway has become a pilgrimage for cat lovers and quirky Japan enthusiasts. This 2-hour guided tour wraps a 35-minute train journey through themed carriages around the main event: meeting the current cat stationmaster at Kishi Station and paying respects at the Tama Shrine — honouring the legendary feline who once worked here. The whole setup feels intentionally playful rather than overly sentimental, and you finish at a cat-themed café with a drink included. It's the kind of tour that works because it doesn't take itself too seriously.
Highlights
- Themed train carriages that feel genuinely designed for the bit
- Meet the actual current cat stationmaster — not a prop
- Cat-shaped station building is charmingly weird, not saccharine
- Tama Shrine visit gives the quirk a cultural grounding
- Café drink break lets you decompress mid-tour
- One-day train pass opens up further Kishigawa Line exploring
- Fully accessible route — wheelchairs, strollers, prams all catered for
What to expect
You'll start at Wakayama Station with your guide, who'll brief you on what's coming before you board. The 35-minute train ride is the centrepiece — the carriages have cat-themed decorations and the pace is relaxed, so you can actually soak in the scenery rather than white-knuckling a schedule. Arriving at Kishi Station, the cat stationmaster appears (timing varies, but the tour is built around this meeting). The station building itself is shaped like a cat's head, and it's genuinely odd in the best way.
From there, you'll visit the Tama Shrine, a small shrine honouring the original cat stationmaster who passed away in 2015. It's respectful without being heavy-handed. The whole vibe shifts slightly here — less theme park, more genuine cultural moment. Then you head to the Tama Café for your included drink, which gives you a natural wind-down before heading back.
What travellers say
- Genuinely quirky without feeling manufactured or cynical
- Cat stationmaster meeting is real, not a trained-up mascot routine
- Cultural backstory grounds the quirkiness in actual Japanese heritage
- Full accessibility — wheelchairs, strollers, and small kids all welcomed
- One-day pass gives you freedom to explore further stops yourself
- Cat stationmaster encounters are brief — expect seconds, not minutes
- Peak-time crowds can make the café finish feel rushed
- Minimal English guidance unless you upgrade to private tour
- Cat-indifferent visitors may find the gimmick wearing thin quickly
Themes summarised by our team from public information about this tour. Verify specifics on the operator's page before booking.
Good to know
This works brilliantly if you're after something genuinely different and are happy to embrace the absurdity. Cat lovers will lose their minds. The guide gives real context about why this railway and this cat became culturally significant in Japan, so it's not just Instagram bait. The one-day train pass means you can hop off and explore other stops on the Kishigawa Line if you want. Accessibility is properly sorted — wheelchair users, parents with prams, and families with small kids are genuinely accommodated, not just theoretically.
The cat stationmaster is an actual working cat, so there's no guarantee of a lengthy meet-and-greet — you'll see them, but it's brief. Crowds can be heavy at peak times, especially weekends. The tour runs on the café's schedule, so if that's busy, you might feel rushed. The whole thing is in Japanese with minimal English guidance unless you book a private tour (not mentioned in standard pricing). If you're cat-indifferent, this won't suddenly convert you — it'll feel gimmicky.
Tour sold and operated by Viator via Viator. Descriptions on this page are original BugBitten summaries written by our team — not copied from the operator. Prices and availability are confirmed at checkout.