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Today I learned that painted manhole covers with cool, unique graphic designs for each city/customer are a thing in Japan. https://www.atlasobscura.com/article
by bdowling 4y ago
Today I learned that painted manhole covers with cool, unique graphic designs for each city/customer are a thing in Japan.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/japanese-manhole-covers https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/japanese-manhole-cover...
- radnor 4y agoThere are even Pokémon themed lids! https://local.pokemon.jp/en/manhole/ https://local.pokemon.jp/en/manhole/
- jsnell 4y agoThanks, that answered a bunch of questions that popped to my mind while watching the video. One of those being just how much these cost. > Typically, a designed manhole cover, which weighs more than 80 pounds, excluding the frame, costs approximately $585—a five percent premium over the cost of a plain cover. The color, however, is applied carefully by hand, and nearly doubles the price of a manhole to more than $900.
- ehnto 4y agoThey are really ubiquitous in some cities, and travelling there I took pictures of one from each city I visted. It felt like collecting challenge coins or something. Not much more to add except that I felt cities in general were very good at self-awareness, branding and collectiveness at a face value level.
- Thlom 4y agoReminds me of a Norwegian rock band that is selling manhole covers as merchandise. For around $500. https://fanwear.no/products/the-dogs-kumlokk?variant=13600219562077 https://fanwear.no/products/the-dogs-kumlokk?variant=1360021...
- Symbiote 4y agoThey aren't painted, but Copenhagen has custom manhole covers too: https://cphpost.dk/2018-10-20/history/drain-spotting-for-manhole-cover-junkies-who-like-their-art-underfoot/ https://cphpost.dk/2018-10-20/history/drain-spotting-for-man...