Tama the cat has been a part of the Japanese workforce for the past seven years. She works as a station master at Kishi station, a remote railway stop in Kinokawa City, Wakayama, Western Japan.

Of course, 'works' isn't exactly the right word for what she does there. Her job mostly involves sitting around, posing for pictures and looking rather stern.

But Tama has been rewarded handsomely for her efforts - she has a large window office, a hat with a gold lining, a badge, and her annual compensation is one year's worth of cat food.

Station Master Tama is special because she attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year.

Her presence at Kishi station has helped revitalise tourism in a rural area that was struggling to stay afloat.

At one point, the train line that

passed through Kishi station saw a 15 percent annual decline in ridership. But when Tama stepped into the role of station master, in 2007, there was a sudden 10 percent jump in the first year.

Just like several other rural rail operations in Japan, Wakayama Railway does not employ any staff at the majority of its stations. Which is why people adore 15-year-old Tama for what she does - watch over the station all by herself.

Well, only four days a week, that is. The rest of the days are filled in by junior station master Nitama, a three-year-old calico. But no one seems to mind the substitution; they stop to take pictures with whichever cat is on duty for the day.