A new shrine priest was inaugurated during Super Cat Day in Japan! February 22 is known as Cat Day in Japan because 22-2 in Japanese is said to sound like the noise a cat makes. Think of the sound “meow” or more correctly “nyao.” February 22, 2022, however, was known as Super Cat Day.
A rural town in Japan heralded in a cat named Nitama, which was perfect for celebrating the special day. Nitama the shrine priest was named after the famous station master cat Tama. Tama was the station master cat at Kishi Station in Wakayama Prefecture who sadly passed away in 2015. The company that operated the station, Wakayama Electric Railway, decided to honor the deceased feline and celebrate Cat Day. To do this they officially appointed Nitama (Tama 2) as the Chief Priest to the Tama Shrine. Nitama was dressed in priest finery and a board detailing the shrine was presented to the cat-loving community.
Image credit: @ekichoTAMA / Twitter