RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Renee Montagne. A decade ago in Japan, a struggling local train station had lost all its staff. And in hopes of keeping its calico cat, it anointed her the stationmaster. Yesterday, Tama the cat was elevated to goddess as thousands of fans attended her funeral. Tama had worn a stationmaster's cap and blue cape as she welcomed travelers to the station. She attracted so many tourists she was credited with saving the station from bankruptcy. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.