---
name: "Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line (Tama trains & Kishi Station)"
lat: 34.20934
lng: 135.31208
official_url: "https://wakayama-dentetsu.co.jp/"
fee: "Wakayama to Kishi, the whole line, is ¥480 for an adult and ¥240 for a child one way. Child fare covers ages 6 to 11 (primary school) and is half the adult fare, rounded up to the nearest ¥10. Children aged 1 to 5 who are not yet at school travel free, two per accompanying passenger aged 6 or over; from the third child on, and for a small child travelling alone, the child fare applies. A one-day pass is ¥1,200 adult, ¥600 child — worth it if you ride the line more than there and back, for instance stopping at Idakiso as well. No IC cards; cash only on board, at the platform 9 window and at Kishi."
last_verified: "2026-08-15"
---

# Wakayama Electric Railway Kishigawa Line (Tama trains & Kishi Station)

The line runs 14.3 kilometres to Kishi in about half an hour. Tama, the first cat stationmaster, took the post in 2007 and died in 2015. A small shrine to Tama now stands on the Kishi platform. Nitama, who succeeded her as Tama II, died in 2025, and the Kishi stationmaster now is Yontama. The station building is roofed in cypress bark in the shape of a cat's face. Five different trains work the line; the Tama train carries 101 painted cats and a shelf of picture books.

- Area: wakayama
- Type: sightseeing
- Average stay: 30 min
- Hours: Trains run from early morning to late evening: from Kishi towards Wakayama the first is 5:28 and the last through service 22:16, with a 23:00 train as far as Idakiso.
- Last verified: 2026-08-15

## Family facts (value + conditions + source + verified date)

| Feature | Value | Conditions | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stroller friendly | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Diaper changing table | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Nursing space | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Family restroom | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Diaper disposal bin | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Kids' toilet seat & step stool | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Elevator | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Indoor / outdoor | Indoor & outdoor | You are on a train and then on an open single platform at Kishi. The station building holds the cafe, the shop and the stationmaster's room; the Tama shrine stands on the platform itself. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://wakayama-dentetsu.co.jp/station/kishi/) |
| English support | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Outside food allowed | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Best-fit ages (guide) | Yes | Children aged 1 to 5 ride free, two per adult. The cat stationmasters work 10:00-16:00 and each has fixed days off: Yontama, the Kishi stationmaster, is off Wednesday and Thursday; Gotama is off Monday and Friday and works at Idakiso; Rokutama, the trainee, is at Kishi on Wednesday and Thursday. Illness or heat can add an unscheduled day off. They stay inside the stationmaster's room all day, never come out, and cannot be touched; they usually wear no uniform or cap. Do not tap the glass to wake a sleeping cat, and no flash photography. Which of the five trains turns up differs by day, and some are out of service. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://wakayama-dentetsu.co.jp/) |
| Stroller access notes | Yes | Kishi station has no car park, and parking on the street is not allowed — by car, park at Wakayama or Idakiso and take the train. Trains leave from platform 9 at JR Wakayama, but this is a separate company, not JR. One-man operation, two cars: board by the rear door of the first car (the second car's doors do not open), take a numbered ticket at intermediate stations, and get off by the front door of the first car past the driver. No numbered tickets are issued at Wakayama or Kishi. IC cards do not work anywhere on the line; it is cash on board, at the platform 9 window and at Kishi. A change machine sits at the front of the leading car. | 2026-08-15 (web) | [source](https://wakayama-dentetsu.co.jp/) |
| Official family-friendly certification | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Crowding (guide) | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Quietness (guide) | Not checked yet |  |  |  |
| Lost-child support | Not checked yet |  |  |  |