In the 1980s as a way to promote local culture and tourism local authorities in Japan began designing distinctive and artistic manhole covers. Each municipality often has its own unique manhole cover designs, featuring local landmarks, historical events, flora, fauna, and other culturally significant symbols.
In Sumida Ward in Tokyo you can find a man hole cover featuring "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," by Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusia was born in Sumida. There is another beautiful manhole cover in the ward that features "Fine Wind, Clear Morning (Red Fuji)", another of Hokusai's series of woodblock prints from his "Thirty-six Views of Mt. Fuji".
If you are visiting Tokyo the city's Bureau of Sewage has a list of the designer manhole covers which can be found in each of the city's wards. The list includes the address where you can find each featured designer manhole cover.
To help promote Japan's sewers and the country's beautiful manhole covers the Japan Sewage Works Association also prints manhole cover cards. Each collectible card features a picture of a manhole cover and the coordinates where the manhole can be found. On the reverse is a description of the manhole's design. The card's are available for free from tourist information offices and at sewage treatment plants and have become hugely popular with locals and tourists alike.
Every serious manhole cover collector needs to bookmark the Manhole Card Map. This interactive map features the locations where you can pick up manhole cover cards. Each marker on the map features the image of the manhole cover whose card can be collected at that location. Click on the marker and you can find the name and address of the tourist office or sewage plant distributing the card, the opening hours and a link to find out about the card's stock availability.
Japan's manhole cards are part of a nationwide initiative called "GKP" (Ground Utilization Promotion). The GKP website also provides the distribution locations for each manhole cover card. Select a prefecture from the drop-down menu and you can view a list of all the manhole cover cards printed in the region. This list includes the address of each locations, the opening hours and a link to check the card's availability.
Back in 2009 I posted a link to a Google Map of the manholes themselves. This map no longer exists and I've been unable to find another interactive map of where you can find Japan's designer manhole covers. If you know of such a map please leave a link in the comments.
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