The station appointed 8-month-old white male rabbit Tsubasa as its stationmaster and presented the uniform hat during an official appointment ceremony on Jan. 3.

The Unomachi area near the station was designated by the central government as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings in December 2009, and the city office decided to appoint this year's zodiac animal as the stationmaster in a bid to attract tourists.

The rabbit will serve at the station until Jan. 16.

"I hope we can promote our town so that it will make a big leap this year, like Tsubasa," said a station official.

via Mainichi