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.
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday thanked Palau for its continued support of Taiwan's international participation, as Taipei was once again excluded from the World Health Assembly (WHA) currently taking place in Switzerland. "Palau has never stopped voicing support for Taiwan" in the UN General Assembly, the WHO and other UN-affiliated agencies, Lai said during a bilateral meeting with visiting Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. "We have been profoundly touched by these endorsements," Lai said, praising the Pacific island nation's firm support as "courageous." Lai's remarks came as Taiwan was excluded for the ninth consecutive year from the WHA, which is being held in
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
At least three people died and more than a dozen were injured yesterday afternoon when a vehicle struck a group of pedestrians in New Taipei City’s Sansia District (三峽). The incident happened at about 4pm when a car rammed into pedestrians at an intersection near Bei Da Elementary School. Witnesses said the sedan, being driven at a high speed, ran a red light, knocking scooters out of the way and hitting students crossing the road before careening into a median near the intersection of Guocheng and Guoguang streets. The incident resulted in three deaths and 13 injuries, including the driver, a 78-year-old man
RSS