Ultimate Anime Tourism – Finding Pokemon Manhole Covers @Anime NYC 2025
Back to: Anime NYC Main Page (Aug 2025)
Did you know that there are Pokemon themed manhole covers all over Japan? It’s a collaboration between the Japanese government and the Pokemon company to make tourism more fun for visitors; especially since Pokemon is well known all over the world.
It’s fun to see how different monsters are used to represent different localities. Like how Pikachu covers can be found around Yokohama while those of Chansey (pink egg type) can be found all over Fukushima.
The artwork itself coincides with the area too. So if you’re at the seaside, the illustration will probably have water incorporated into it, while a cover located in a funpark might have a roller coaster.
I’m glad the Japan Local Government Center promoted this at Anime NYC. Although the brochure they showed was in Japanese only, we were able to find a dedicated Pokemon Utility Hole Cover website (also in English) where they list all the Pokemon manholes and map locations of each one.
More info: Pokemon Manhole Covers Online Maps
If Pokemon isn’t your cup of tea, there’s also Sailor Moon.
As of 2024, five (that’s 5) Sailor Moon manhole covers were installed in Tokyo. There’s one near Tokyo Tower that features the 5 girls in a portrait while another of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask can be found at the entrance to the Azabu Juban shopping street (where these two characters had their reunion.)
More info: Sailor Moon manhole covers -Minato City website
If you want to know where they are, you can find downloadable pdf maps in several languages, including:
But this is by no means the limit of anime themed manhole covers. The rabbit hole runs deep; you can also find Gundam and Hello Kitty and Friends, plus others. And if manhole covers aren’t enough for you, there’s Anime Tourism Association’s Japanese Anime 88 Spots tourist areas for you to discover.
More info -Anime 88 Spots: https://animetourism88.com/en
In my personal opinion, this manhole cover initiative is quite remarkable and still hard to believe. Imagine attempting to ask the mayor of New York City to make manhole covers of the Simpsons? I’d get laughed out of his office!
So go visit Japan.
And while you’re at it, discover some cool manhole covers – while they still exist!
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More Info:
Pokemon Manhole covers in Japan
Minato City Sailor Moon manhole covers
Anime Tourism 88 Spots
Event: Anime NYC (Aug 2025)
Legal information: Pokemon and related characters are trademarks of Nintendo. Sailor Moon and related characters are trademarks of the Toei Animation Company. Hello Kitty is a trademark of Sanrio. Gundam is a trademark of Bandai Namco Filmworks. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
