Featured

manhole cover

Japanese manhole covers become a hit with foreign tourists in off-the-beaten path Tokyo area

Street lids are now some of the city’s most unusual tourist sites, and there’s a way you can take them home as free souvenir cards.

Read More

Japan’s new manhole cover T-shirts let you show off your local prefectural pride

Line of apparel offers at least one design based on actual manhole covers from all 47 prefectures of Japan.

Read More

Eight new Pokémon manhole covers featuring Vulpix spawn in snowy Hokkaido Prefecture

Some legendary Pokémon make their Pokéfuta debut as well.

Read More

“Manhole Cards,” Japan’s new collectible card game craze features artistic sewer covers

Gotta catch, er, flush ’em all!

Read More

Beautiful website catalogues some of Japan’s most ornate manhole covers

In most countries, you’d never give a manhole cover a second glance. But in Japan, the designs on those metal disks encircled by cement are surprisingly ornate. Most are so beautiful, you’ll have to be careful not to spend the entire day looking at the ground. Now people all over the world can enjoy Japan’s stompable artwork thanks to Hirake! Manhole, a brand new website showcasing manhole cover art across Japan.

Read More