They are heavy disks of cast iron that separate us from our subterranean sewage, but in Japan, they are also highly coveted works of art, symbols of regional pride, and now, sources of revenue.
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 ¥3,000 ($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 ¥60,000 each.
One of the covers features a pattern reminiscent of the wheels of a court carriage – a reference to Kyoto’s time as Japan’s ancient capital. Another has a grid-like motif. All three have acquired a rusty sheen and plenty of scratches during at least three decades of service on Kyoto’s streets.
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 cover designs from all 47 of Japan’s prefectures have found their way on to collectible cards, keyrings and coasters, as well as T-shirts and tote bags sold by the apparel firm Japan Underground.
Staff visited every prefecture in person to select lid designs and gain permission to reproduce them from local authorities, according to the SoraNews 24 website. The firm launched five designs from the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido in 2021, and completed the range this month with those based on covers from the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa.
Japan’s artistic manhole covers are embellished with thousands of colourful illustrations of everything from local landmarks, famous natives, festivals and flora and fauna. Popular culture also gets a look in, with lids featuring Pokémon characters now adorning paths in most parts of the country.
Enthusiasts, nicknamed “manholers,” indulge their love of the items at an annual manhole summit. Last year’s event was held in Tokorozawa, appropriately enough on the former site of the city’s sewage treatment facility.
According to Kyoto’s water supply and sewerage bureau, the city is home to about 160,000 manhole covers. Those installed on roads have a service life of about 15 years, while those used on pavements last about 30 years, the Mainichi said.
With 1,500 lids replaced every year, the city is expected to continue finding them new owners. “We’ll sell three to begin with, and if it’s a success, we would like to sell more,” a sewerage bureau official told the newspaper.
• This article was amended on Thursday 12 October 2023 to correct the composition of manhole covers. They are made from cast iron, not wrought iron as an earlier version said.
