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Hokkaido just got seven new Pokémon manhole covers featuring Vulpix and friends

The cover designs featuring Vulpix and Alolan Vulpix can be found in Hakodate, Otaru, Nemuro and more

Youka Nagase
Written by
Youka Nagase
Editorial Assistant, Time Out Tokyo
Pokemon manhole cover
Photo: The Pokémon Company
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Hokkaido is known for its gorgeous ski slopes during winter, but the summer season is just as wonderful. There are stunning views from above the clouds at Unkai Terrace, a buffet filled with locally grown corn at Hoshino Resorts Tomamu, an immersive light show inside one of Hokkaido’s oldest National Parks, and more. For a different kind of sightseeing, don’t forget to hunt for these newly installed Pokémon manhole covers.

Pokemon manhole cover
Photo: The Pokémon Company

It’s been over a year since Hokkaido got its first set of Pokéfuta, as the covers are known in Japanese, and the roster has expanded with seven new manhole covers this July. Like the previous ones, they feature the adorable fox-like fire Pokémon Vulpix and its ice-type Alolan form, a perfect representation of Hokkaido’s warm and cold seasons. 

You’ll find the new covers in several different cities throughout the prefecture: Hakodate, Otaru, Nemuro, Noboribetsu, Honbetsu, Rikubetsu and Nakashibetsu.

There are now a whopping 26 Pokéfuta scattered across Hokkaido, so chances are you’ll come across one whichever city you visit. Not only are these manhole covers a beautiful decoration, they also serve as Pokéstops for the mobile game Pokémon Go. You can go to the website to find the exact locations of these new Pokéfuta, as well as the other covers located around Japan.

Can’t make it up north? Check out Tokyo’s newest Pokémon manhole covers in Ueno Park.

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