Summary
- Pokemon-themed manhole covers are widespread in Japan, attracting tourists to lesser-known areas.
- The manhole cover in Pippu, Hokkaido is kept accessible under a tent with snow clearing tools provided.
- Pokélids aim to engage tourists, with over 200 covers across Japan to "catch" Pokemon designs.
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One of the many free attractions that tourists can enjoy visiting in Japan are the themed manhole covers that can be found all over the country. Many depict local landmarks and traditional stories, but as you can likely predict, there are plenty of otaku-themed ones as well. Some of the most wide-spread otaku manhole covers to see in Japan are themed after one of Japan's most popular franchises, Pokemon.
These Pokemon-themed manhole covers can be found across the entire country, from big cities to rural areas, depicting many different Pokémon from across the franchise's generations. One particularly special manhole cover was recently reported on by SoraNews24, which listed the manhole cover as, "Japan’s most overprotected manhole cover." One of the website's Japanese news writers, Seiji Nakazawa, traveled to the small town of Pippu in Hokkaido Prefecture to see it.
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What are Pokélids?
The Phenomenon of Pokémon Manhole Covers
In order to properly understand the story of "Japan’s most overprotected manhole cover," you have to first know a little about what these manhole covers are. Known as "Pokéfuta" in Japanese, or "Pokélids" in English, these manhole covers can be found around Japan in public areas accessible to everyone. They depict many different types of Pokémon, usually ones that would be likely to live in that area. For example, the island prefecture of Okinawa has water-type Pokémon, while snowy Hokkaido has ice-type Pokémon.
There are currently Pokélids in every region of Japan, and they can easily be searched using the Pokelid database website. This website can be sorted by prefecture, making it easier to find Pokélids wherever it is you are traveling in Japan. It gives both domestic and international tourists the chance to feel like Pokémon trainers as they journey around Japan trying to find and "catch" (or photograph) as many different Pokémon as they can.
Pokélids have been around since 2018, and there are currently more than 200 scattered throughout Japan. The point of the Pokélids is to try to attract tourists to parts of Japan that they may not otherwise explore, bringing money and foot traffic to areas outside of Tokyo's biggest cities. That doesn't mean that Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto don't have any Pokélids, though - of course, they have them as well. But to see more rare Pokélids, true Pokémon fans have to travel off the beaten path to lesser-known areas, such as Pippu in Hokkaido.
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The Most Overprotected Manhole in Japan
Keeping Pokémon Accessible for Everyone
"Japan’s most overprotected manhole cover" can be found near Pippu Station in Japan's northernmost prefecture, Hokkaido. In the winter, Hokkaido famously gets plenty of snowfall that lasts for months. Pippu is no different, and is buried under a thick blanket of snow most of the winter. That makes it challenging for any Pokémon fan who may make their way to this rural location in search of the town's exclusive Pokélid.
However, Japan's famous level of service has extended even to ensuring that Pippu's Pokélid remains accessible to anyone who braves the journey to the small town. The Pokélid, which features Piplup and Alolan Vulpix playing in the snow arond a Vulpix-shaped snowman, is kept under a small tent with a sign directing people towards it. The tent helps to keep too much snow from piling up on top of the manhole cover, which would render it impossible to find for any would-be Pokemon trainer hoping to catch them all.
Going one step further, near the tent there is also a broom and a shovel, both of which are labeled “ポケふた用” (“for the Pokéfuta." If someone does arrive and the Pokélid is covered in snow, they can use the free tools to clear it away and reveal the Pokémon hiding beneath. The town's pride in having their very own Pokélid to attract tourists is obvious, as they have taken so many steps to ensure that anyone who visits is able to find and enjoy the manhole cover after being willing to make the journey to Pippu.
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Source: SoraNews24
