News Manhole covers sought-after items in Japan

[thomas]

In Japan, manhole covers are highly coveted works of art, symbols of regional pride, and now, sources of revenue. The Guardian on Kyoto City's plans to sell obsolete manhole covers to cash in on the public's fascination with the decorated pieces.

Local authorities are cashing in on the public's fascination with the country's decorated manhole covers, with Kyoto now joining a list of locations that are putting obsolete lids up for sale. The city's government has said it will sell iron manhole covers to members of the public for the first time, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. Local authorities are cashing in on the public's fascination with the country's decorated manhole covers, with Kyoto now joining a list of locations that are putting obsolete lids up for sale. The city's government has said it will sell iron manhole covers to members of the public for the first time, according to the Mainichi Shimbun. At JPY 3,000 (USD 20) apiece, the covers – manufactured in 1978, 1981 and 1990 – would be considered a steal by collectors keen to own a slice of the city's history in the form of a 90kg piece of industrial art. According to media reports, new manhole covers cost around JPY 60,000 each.

The eastern city of Maebashi attracted a flood of applications after it put 10 manhole covers on sale in 2017, with almost 200 potential buyers, including from people living outside the city, according to the Kyodo news agency.

Tokorozawa, a city north of Tokyo, is one of several municipalities to have cashed in on the manhole craze. In 2018, it came up with the idea of commercialising the items when it invited firms to advertise on manhole covers in an attempt to finance its heavily indebted sewage management system.

Manhole covers become collector’s items in Japan

Kyoto to sell its obsolete manhole covers in a bid to cash in on the public’s fascination with the decorated pieces

www.theguardian.com

A Pokemon manhole cover we found this summer at Inawashiro Michi no Eki in Fukushima:

 

[thomas]

These are the manhole covers sold to the public:

The municipal government here will sell three used iron maintenance hole lids to the general public for the first time for 5,500 JPY (about USD 37) each. [...] The city had previously sold unwanted sewage maintenance hole covers as scrap iron for about 3,000 JPY (roughly USD 20) each to a vendor, but it decided to raise the price in anticipation of demand for "local maintenance hole" lids, which are unique to each municipality and have become increasingly popular among collectors in recent years.

Kyoto city to sell 3 used maintenance hole covers to the public for 1st time - The Mainichi

KYOTO -- The municipal government here will sell three used iron maintenance hole lids to the general public for the first time for 5,500 yen (about $

mainichi.jp

 

[nice gaijin]

A few weeks ago I was in Tokyu Hands (I guess it's now just Hands) in Shibuya and there were a couple guys who had some neat items showcasing various manhole covers from around Japan. They said they'd traveled around Japan collecting the designs, and got permission from the local governments to use the actual designs for various little items like lacquered pins and coasters. It was so tempting I had to get out of there before I spent a bunch of money.

In past visits to Japan I had a series of posts tagged with #manholecover and #designflavor tags, as I find these designs a nice little expression of local design sense or pride. When you see a really nice, colored manhole cover, it just begs to be photographed.

Wow, instagram now only shows "top posts" when you try to browse a hashtag? How totally useless!

 

[Petaris]

I have taken pictures of those before. It is kind of cool and something that would never be seen in the US.

 

[Mikawa Ossan]

Not for long, anyway. Here in the US, they'd probably be stolen in short order.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Is the manhole card not still known?

https://www.gk-p.jp/mhcard/?pref=zen Koku

Should I gather you during now?

 

[thomas]

Is the manhole card not still known? Should I gather you during now?

Is there no "manhole cover stamp rally", just like for the 100 Finest Japanese Castles (日本百名城)?

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Is there no "manhole cover stamp rally", just like for the 100 Finest Japanese Castles (日本百名城)?

There seems to be the manhole stamp rally, too.

マンホールカードデジタルスタンプラリー公式ページ | てくてくスタンプ

下水道広報プラットフォーム（GKP）が発行している、各自治体に実在するマンホールのデザインをカード化した「マンホールカード」がついにWebスタンプラリーに！ 全国各地を巡ってスタンプをゲットしよう！

www.tektekstamp.jp

As a Japanese has many enthusiastic people, there is the dumb card, too.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issues it.

ダムカード - 国土交通省水管理・国土保全局

ダムを訪問した方に配布している「ダムカード」の配布場所等

www.mlit.go.jp

 

[thomas]

As a Japanese has many enthusiastic people, there is the dumb card, too.

ダムカード dam card?

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

ダムカード dam card?

"dam" ....I made a mistake.

There are also power plant cards.

山口県企業局「発電所カード」について - ダム便覧