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.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS