Hi there! Neil Nicerio here,
I have already written about Japan's Awesome Manhole Covers in the past and talked about being part of a hobbyist group referred to as drainspotters. Being one is not easy as it also requires me to visit different towns, cities, and villages in Japan.
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| Hokkaido Manhole Covers |
Lucky for me, I'm blessed to have been given the opportunity to live and work in Rumoi City in Hokkaido Prefecture as an Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) under the JET Programme. For this article, I will only focus on my current home prefecture.
As of this writing, there are 179 municipalities in Hokkaido Prefecture. This is broken down into 35 cities, 129 towns, and 15 villages. It only means that there are a lot of different manhole cover designs to see. Aside from that, there are currently 41 Pokemon Manhole Covers scattered around the prefecture. You can click the link to read more about these special manhole covers.
Going back, these are the manhole covers that I have "collected" in Hokkaido Prefecture as well as where I took a photo of them and their rarity:
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| Hokkaido Manhole - near train stations (common) |
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| Sapporo City colored manhole cover - Sapporo Clock Tower (only 2) |
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| Asahikawa City manhole cover - Asahikawa Roadside Station (common) |
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| Rumoi City colored manhole cover - Rumoi Roadside Station (only 1) |
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| Rumoi City manhole cover - Chidoricho (common) |
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| Rumoi City manhole cover - Kotobukicho (common) |
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| Rumoi City colored manhole cover - Rumoi Purification Center (Only 1) |
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| Obira manhole cover - Obira Roadside Station (common) |
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| Obira manhole cover 2 - near Obira Shrine (uncommon) |
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| Mashike manhole cover - In the town proper (common) |
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| Mashike manhole cover - In the town proper (common) |
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| Hokuryu manhole cover - Near Matatsu Shrine (common) |
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| Fukagawa City manhole cover - Near Fukagawa Shrine (uncommon) |
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| Moseushi manhole cover - near Moseushi Onsen Peperu (uncommon) |
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| Chippubetsu manhole cover - near Chippu Shrine (common) |
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Shosanbetsu manhole cover - near Shosanbetsu Shrine (common)
 | | Biei manhole cover - In front of ラヴニールの鐘 (common) |
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| Horonobe manhole cover - Near Horonobe Town Hall (uncommon) |
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| Wakkanai colored manhole cover - Cape Noshappu (only 1) |
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| Sarufutsu manhole cover - Near Sarufutsu Village Hall (uncommon) |
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| Mashike colored manhole cover - Mashike Town Hall (only 1) |
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| Hamatombetsu manhole cover - Near Hamatombetsu Shrine (uncommon) |
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| Nakatombetsu manhole cover - Near Nakatombetsu Shrine (common) |
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| Otoineppu manhole cover - Near Otoineppu Village Hall (common) |
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| Otaru City colored manhole cover - In front of Le Tao Main Store in Sakaimachi (only 1) |
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| Otaru City manhole cover - Along Sakaimachi Street (common) |
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| Akaigawa colored manhole cover #1 - Along Route 36 (uncommon) |
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| Akaigawa colored manhole cover #2 - Along Route 36 (uncommon) |
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| Toyako manhole cover - Toyako Gurruto Sculpture Park (common) |
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| Takikawa City colored manhole cover - Takikawa Tourist Information Center (Only 1) |
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| Takikawa City manhole cover - Near Takikawa JR Station (uncommon) |
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| Former Ohtaki Village (now part of Date City) manhole cover - In the vicinity of Midorinokaze Resort Kitayuzawa (uncommon) |
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| Chitose City manhole cover - Lake Shikotsu area (common) |
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| Chitose City colored manhole cover - Chitose Roadside Station (Only 1) |
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| Shintotsukawa colored manhole cover - Inside Shintotsukawa Town Hall (Only 1) |
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| Shintotsukawa manhole cover - Near Shintotsukawa Town Museum (uncommon) |
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| Uryu manhole cover - Near Uryu Shrine (uncommon) |
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| Urausu colored manhole cover - Urausu Town Hall (only 1) |
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| Ishikari City manhole cover - Atsuta District (uncommon) |
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| Ishikari City manhole cover - Near Ban'ya no Yu (common) |
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| Naie colored manhole cover - Naie Town Hall (only 1) |
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| Akabira City manhole cover - Near Akabira Exchange Center " Mirai" (common) |
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| Ashibetsu City colored manhole cover - Along Route 452 (uncommon) |
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| Nakafurano manhole cover - Tomita Farm (common) |
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| Numata manhole cover - near Numata Shrine (common) |
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| Numata manhole cover - near Horoshin Spa (uncommon) |
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| Kamisunagawa manhole cover - near Kamisunagawa Shrine (common) |
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| Utashinai City colored manhole cover - Along Route 691 (uncommon) |
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| Utashinai City manhole cover - near Myooji (common) |
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| Anne of Canadian World - Canadian World, Ashibetsu City (only in Canadian World) |
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| Akabira City colored manhole cover - Displayed inside Akabira Base (only 1) |
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| Sunagawa City colored manhole cover - Displayed near Sunagawa City Hall (only 1) |
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| Toma manhole cover - Displayed near Toma Roadside Station (common) |
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| Takasu manhole cover - Displayed near Green Park (common) |
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| Pippu manhole cover - Displayed outside Pippu Station (common) |
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| Kamikawa manhole cover - Displayed near Ogamigawa Shrine (common) |
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| Asahikawa City manhole cover - Displayed near Seicomart Shunkodai (common on the western side of Asahikawa City) |
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| Aibetsu manhole cover - Displayed near Aibetsu Town Hall (common) |
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| Toma colored manhole cover - Near Toma Local History Museum (only 1) |
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| Ozora manhole cover - Near Memanbetsu Shrine (common) |
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| Kitami City manhole cover 1 - Near 2nd Street Kitami (common) |
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| Kitami City manhole cover 2 - Near Kitami Shrine (common) |
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| Bihoro manhole cover - near Bihoro Shrine (common) |
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| Bihoro manhole cover 2 - Near Bihoro Station (common) |
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| Nayoro City manhole cover - near Nayoro Shrine (common) |
%20colored%20manhole%20cover.jpg "Nayoro City colored manhole cover - Along Route 40 in Furen District (common)") |
| Nayoro City colored manhole cover - Along Route 40 in Furen District (common) |
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| Bifuka colored manhole cover 1 - Along Route 40 (common) |
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| Bifuka colored manhole cover 2 - Along Route 40 (uncommon) |
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| Mikasa City manhole cover - near Ichikichi Shrine (common) |
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| Iwamizawa City manhole cover - near Iwamizawa City Hall (common) |
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| Bibai City manhole cover - near Bibai City History Museum |
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| Bibai City colored manhole cover - near Bibai Tondenheiya (only 1) |
%20colored%20manhole%20cover.jpg "Nayoro City colored manhole cover - Along Route 40 in Furen District (common)")
Those are very beautiful manhole cover designs. It makes me want to visit Hokkaido.
ReplyDeletePlease do. These are but some of the manhole cover designs that I saw during my travels. I'll update this regularly.
DeleteThe Wakkanai colored manhole cover is the best one for me. Next is the Rumoi mascot manhole cover.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. =)
DeleteCool manhole collection!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHave you seen a manhole cover for Shari and Rausu? We've been there last month but we weren't able to see a unique manhole design.
ReplyDeleteMy family and I went to Shari a few weeks back. I found the colored manhole cover in the Roadside Rest Area "Utoro-Shirietoku”. For Rausu, I wasn't able to see a unique one although they have the Prefecture-wide Hokkaido manhole cover displayed along the main road in front of Seicomart.
DeleteThe manhole cover designs in Hokkaido are really beautiful. I like the colored versions particularly the Toma manhole cover.
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out my blog. I agree with you the Toma manhole cover is really nice.
DeleteYour Hokkaido manhole cover collection is growing. Cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteI admire your dedication. I'm looking forward to see your collection when you visit all the towns of Hokkaido.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete