Manhole covers are a normal part of urban development, serving the same general purpose in many countries around the world - they allow access beneath the street or sidewalk for people that need to work there. And in most countries of the world, you walk over manhole covers without a second thought because there is nothing special about them. They blend into the street, with the most "decoration" they have sometimes being the city's name.
Japan, though, is different. Japan has seen an opportunity in manhole covers, using them as a way to add decoration to an otherwise plain city street, and even as a way to draw in tourists! The manhole may still serve the same purpose that it does around the world, but the manhole cover has become a vehicle for art, and of course, beloved characters.
Local Mascots and Landmarks
For years, Japan has been putting famous landmarks on manhole covers all around the country. For instance, you can see Mt. Fuji on many manhole covers in Shizuoka Prefecture, one of the prefectures the famous mountain is in. Often people who travel around Japan snap photos of these beautiful manhole covers along with the other sites in the city.
It didn't stop there, though. Unsurprisingly, Japan also has a lot of manhole covers that feature characters! It didn't start right away with famous ones, however. Many prefectures, cities, and wards in Japan have local mascot characters that can be found on city notices, signs, and more around the area. These characters were some of the first to make appearances on manhole covers, and can still be found all around, especially in areas that really embrace their local mascots.
Pokemon
The most commonly found characters that are now adorning manhole covers all around Japan should come as no surprise to anyone. They're Pokemon. Pokemon are mainstream enough in Japan to barely be considered an otaku interest, and are prime candidates to appear on permanent public infrastructure because of this. Very few people are offended by seeing Pikachu and his friends when they are out and about.
The project behind these Pokemon manhole covers is called "Poke Lids," and began in December 2018 with the installation of an Eevee manhole cover in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture. The number of Poké Lids in Japan now stands at over 200 and can be found in every region of the country. According to the official website, the manhole covers were first installed because Diglett had been digging a lot of large holes, and these holes needed to be marked differently from other normal access holes.
Typically, Poke Lids depict Pokemon that would likely be found in that area of Japan (such as snow Vulpix in the northern prefecture of Hokkaido, and Sandshrew in Tottori Prefecture which is famous for sand dunes). The website allows people to click on the region of Japan they are visiting, then pinpoint the exact location of each manhole cover using Google Maps - and even links to a Pokédex article about that Pokemon! It is worth noting that all the Pokemon on the manhole covers have their names written in Japanese, and many differ from the name English speakers know.
The Poke Lids project has been so successful that official merchandise even exists for it now, and it has been drawing tourists to new places in Japan in search of the manhole covers. When new ones are released, it's a point of local pride for that area. Not every prefecture in Japan has its own Pokemon manhole covers yet, but it seems to be only a matter of time until they are everywhere!
Mobile Suit Gundam
Pokemon are not the only characters that have been cropping up on manhole covers throughout Japan, though. More recently, in 2021 the Gundam Manhole Project was launched. In August 2021, two manhole covers from Mobile Suit Gundam were installed in the city of Odawara. They were donated to the city by Bandai Namco, the owners of Gundam, because it is the hometown of Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino.
The Gundam Manhole Project also began as a way to generate more tourism to cities in Japan other than Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka. As the project is still new, only two more manhole covers have been announces so far. They will be installed this spring in Sagamihara City, home of one campus of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Pokemon and Gundam manhole covers are likely to keep popping up across Japan, and we will have to wait and see what other famous series will follow. It has to be something timeless, since the manhole covers will likely be around for a long time, and also something that is easily recognizable to the public. Our guess is Evangelion, which over twenty years later still has a lot of cultural significance and recognizable characters. In the meantime, we will be looking forward to seeing what manhole covers come out next!
Sources: Poke Lids, Mainichi, Nippon.com