Manhole covers usually go unnoticed as just a basic part of any city, but the ones you see around Japan are works of art. There are some sporting designs by Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki, anime manhole covers that light up and, of course, the Pokemon-themed ones all over the country. The possibilities are endless when it comes to manhole cover designs.
And now, Japan’s very first set of Gundam-themed manhole covers has been installed at Odawara in Kanagawa prefecture, the birthplace of Yoshiyuki Tomino, creator of the anime franchise.
As a part of the new Gundam Manhole Project, Odawara city has installed two new manhole covers – the first ever Gundam-themed covers in Japan. One features the classic RX-78-2 Gundam with Odawara Castle in the background, and you'll find it on Daiyagai shopping street (2-9 Sakaecho, Odawara). Meanwhile, the other cover shows MSM-07S Z'Gok posing with a fish in hand – this one's at the Odawara Fishery Harbour (1-21-3 Hayakawa, Odawara).
Gundam fans can look forward to finding more of these colourful covers in the near future, because the Gundam Manhole Project plans to install more nationwide, each featuring different characters and robots posing with local landmarks. You can keep up to date with the latest news about the project on its official website.
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