Noto Peninsula is ready to welcome travelers again, and these Pokémon are ready to help them do it.

There are two major goals for the Pokéfuta/Poké Lids project. One of them, of course, is to put smiles on the faces of fans by installing adorable and artistic Pokémon-themed manhole covers in Japanese cities, but the second purpose of the Pokéfuta is to help revitalize communities by encouraging people to visit and support local businesses while they’re on their real-world Pokémon search.

That’s why the newest batch of Pokéfuta is set to be installed this week on the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture. This beautiful section of the northern coast of Japan’s main island of Honshu was hit by a powerful earthquake in the early hours of New Year’s Day on 2024. As is often the case in disaster-stricken rural areas, clearing away wreckage and rebuilding infrastructure was not a quick or simple endeavor, but Noto is ready to receive travelers again, and there are now six new reasons to visit in the form of half a dozen new Pokéfuta.

Each cover has a unique design and is located in a different town on the peninsula. Starting off, we’ve got the above scene of Snorlax, Plusle, and Minun on the Pokéfuta at Anamizu Station in the town of Anamizu, which is loved by locals for its cherry blossoms.

Eevee evolution Sylveon and a pair of Luvdiscs are waiting at Mitsuke Beach in Suzu, where the rocky Mitsuke Island is a symbol of the town and crab, oysters, and Noto kuroge wagyu beef delight foodies.

Speaking of evolutions, after working his way up from Magikarp status, Gyarados has earned a little rest and relaxation at Yuttari Park, in Nanao, a town known for tis hot springs, where Politoed and Poliwag are also enjoying the water.

Greninja poses dramatically, and Darumaka somewhat less so, on their Pokéfuta at the Furattohomu roadside station souvenir shop in Wajima, where lacquerware from local artisans are among the items on offer.

Noto is also the name of a town on the Noto Peninsula, and it’s getting a Pokéfuta with Roselia, Minior, and Lotad inside its Yanagida Botanical Park, where cherry blossom season is wrapping up but beautiful azaleas, roses, wisteria, and irises will be coming into bloom in the coming weeks and months.

And finally, Wattrels soar through the sky and a Gorebyss frolics in the waves at Sekaiichi no Bench, “The World’s Longest Bench,” in the town of Shika on the west coast of the peninsula. Recognized by Guiness at the time of its construction in 1989, it no longer holds the distinction of being the longest in the world, but at 460.9 meters (1,512.1 feet) in length, you can be pretty sure of finding space to sit.

▼ Map showing the locations of Ishikawa’s six new Noto Peninsula Pokémon manhole covers, plus the preexisting one in the city of Kanazawa, further to the south.

All six Pokéfuta are scheduled to be installed and viewable on April 29. And if you’re looking for even more Pokémon manhole covers along the northern coast of Japan’s main island, we’ve got a whole bunch more for you here.

Source: Pokéfuta official website, PR Times
Featured image: Pokéfuta official website
Top image: Pokémon with You
Insert images: Pokéfuta official website (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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