The Ten Million Dollar Cat

[BTM]

So, apparently there's this small town in Japan that was facing bankruptcy and a huge economic slowdown when the people at the train station got this idea to promote a cat as the Station Master, and suddenly, BOOM, people came from miles and miles around to see this cat with a small conductors hat, and buy the various merchandise that bears it's likeness.  It's pumped TEN MILLION into this town's economy.

I watched a video about this on Yahoo news and the cat seems really friendly, I mean, he'll sit on this little cushion and let just anyone pick him up, pet him and whatnot.  It's really cute, but I can't help but wonder, are people in Japan that bored that they travel a long distance to see a cat?  I mean, dunno what the pet population is over there, but I'm guessing there's plenty of felines to go around...

Ahh, but hey, it's cute, it's fun, it's helping people, so I'm not gonna run it down too much.

If you want to read more about it, you can click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tama_(cat), http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article4009668.ece.  You can also see the Yahoo video here gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/10443442.

Oh, neat fact!  Just reading one of the articles, and listen to this: "When Tama puts his front legs together, the patterns on his fur form a heart shape. It is said that it is good luck for couples to visit Tama and be shown the heart mark."

[Psycho Circus]

The japanese are easily pleased 

[JJ80]

It's amazing how an at best regional news bulleitn/local paper level story seems to have become a national phenomenon for them. How long before he gets his own anime, not to mention "Godzilla Vs" flick!