A cat named Mikan (蜜柑) has brought in revenue of more than NT$10 million (US$305,390) for the Kaohsiung MRT last year.
Mikan, born on April 4, 2020, was a stray cat before being adopted by personnel of Kaohsiung MRT’s Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station.
Mikan was named after a Japanese term for mandarin orange due to his color and because he looks like an orange when curled up.
Photo courtesy of Kaohsiung MRT
He was named “station master” of Ciaotou Sugar Refinery Station in September 2020, and has since become famous.
With Kaohsiung MRT’s branding, along with the release of a set of cultural and creative products, station master Mikan has gained huge popularity and was even visited by then-president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the station in March 2021.
Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai (陳其邁) also allowed Mikan to stand on his office desk.
Photo: Wang Jung-hsiang, Taipei Times
The Kaohsiung MRT said Mikan works only one day a month to meet with fans and enjoys a cozy life at the headquarters on other days, with an exclusive workspace overlooking the city and someone to look after him.
“Master Mikan’s selling point is being adorable,” it said.
From backpacks to stationery and jam, the Kaohsiung MRT has designed more than 120 different products featuring Mikan, which have been ardently collected by his fans and passengers.
Sales soared after a Mikan counter was launched at Zuoying Station in July last year, with annual revenue increasing 25 percent to more than NT$10 million from the previous year.
The Kaohsiung MRT also opened Instagram and Facebook accounts for Mikan, recording his life and encouraging people to treat stray animals with kindness.
So far, Mikan’s Instagram has 184,000 followers as of yesterday, 90 percent of whom are from Taiwan and 10 percent from overseas, with Hong Kong, the US and Japan being the top three countries.
The Kaohsiung MRT said it would take responsibility of caring for Mikan and ensuring his well-being, while developing the station master’s brand by advocating for stray animals’ welfare, marketing the city’s tourism and promoting international exchanges.
It would continue to develop new merchandise of Mikan, and take part in this year’s Creative Expo Taiwan to gain traction in the souvenir market and the creative industry, it said.
The Kaohsiung MRT on Friday last week said it signed a three-party agreement on tourism marketing and business cooperation with Japan’s Enoden Electric Railway and Keifuku Electric Railroad Co.
Under the agreement, Mikan’s cobranded products and promotional activities would be launched concurrently in Taiwan and Japan, with images of Mikan wearing the three railway companies’ uniforms, it said, adding that merchandise counters would also be set up at major stations along the two Japanese railway routes.
“Mikan diplomacy” is expected to promote the friendship between Taiwan and Japan, it added.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the
“China is preparing to invade Taiwan,” Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) said in an exclusive interview with British media channel Sky News for a special report titled, “Is Taiwan ready for a Chinese invasion?” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said today in a statement. The 25-minute-long special report by Helen Ann-Smith released yesterday saw Sky News travel to Penghu, Taoyuan and Taipei to discuss the possibility of a Chinese invasion and how Taiwan is preparing for an attack. The film observed emergency response drills, interviewed baseball fans at the Taipei Dome on their views of US President
Speeding and badly maintained roads were the main causes of a school bus accident on a rainy day in Taipei last year that severely injured two people and left 22 with minor injuries, the Taiwan Transportation and Safety Board said. On March 11 last year, a Kang Chiao International School bus overturned inside the Wenshan Tunnel (文山隧道) on the northbound lane of the Xinyi Expressway. The tour bus, owned by Long Lai Co, exceeded the speed limit after entering the tunnel, the board’s investigation found. Sensing that the rear of the vehicle was swaying, the driver attempted to use the service and exhaust
RSS