A new series of Pokémon manhole covers have been produced for Japanese streets, with this latest series set to hit the prefecture of Nara soon!
I wonder how long it will be before every manhole cover in Japan is based on a Pokémon? At this point, there’s surely enough Pokémon to cover a noticeable portion of the existing manholes with a Pokémon themed variant even if there were some repetition, and there’s certainly interest in transforming more of them into colorful designs based on the franchise. Just in the last 6 months we’ve seen covers installed in Miyagi and Kanto. This latest collection of Pokémon manhole covers will soon be installed in Nara.
These new Pokémon manhole covers will be installed in the town of Ikaruga in Nara Prefecture. Each of the designs, featuring Pokémon like Entei, Bronzong, and Simisear among others, are all original designs created specifically for their installation and represent elements of the town and prefecture through the world and creatures of Pokémon.
Some have even been installed already: Above, Pikachu gives moral support to workers installing an Entei-themed manhole cover.
As of now, a total of 148 Pokémon manhole covers have been installed across Japan as part of the Pokéfuta scheme across 13 prefectures and cities, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see even more manhole covers in the coming months and years across Japan. They prove a source of tourism as fans of the series visit the areas to see them in person and provide excitement for local residents. They’ve been a net positive for all the regions they’ve been installed in, and you can imagine some prefectures will be lining up to be next on the list to encourage similar benefits in their area.
You can view all the Pokémon manhole covers on the official website. One question remains, however: will we ever see Pokémon manhole covers in the West?