Nagoya Manhole Covers Turn City Streets Into Street Art 

Nagoya may be drawing global attention for the Asian Games, but some of the city’s most distinctive art is found beneath the pavement. Its manhole covers feature local landmarks, food, history, nature, and pop culture, turning ordinary infrastructure into small pieces of street art. 

At the Meta Water Sewerage Science Museum, a collection of manhole designs offers a closer look at how Nagoya and other Japanese communities use these overlooked surfaces to showcase their identity. The displays sit alongside exhibits explaining pipes, drainage and wastewater treatment. 

Nagoya has about 198,000 manholes spread across an 8,000-kilometre sewer network, with nearly two dozen types of covers, according to the city administration. Their designs include flowers, birds, animals, landmarks and local scenery. 

The designs are selected in different ways. Municipalities can approach manufacturers with an idea, while other designs come from public competitions, student entries or commissioned artists. The local water and sewerage bureau makes the final selection. 

The tradition grew from an effort to improve public perceptions of sewage systems. What began with a manufacturer’s suggestion eventually became a form of local expression, with manhole designs gaining social-media communities and even auctions. 

Nagoya’s manhole art reflects different layers of the city. One cover featuring Nagoya Castle dates to the 1989 World Design Expo, while another commemorates 100 years of sewerage services with the Nayabashi bridge over the Horikawa River. 

The range extends from Nagoya Castle and samurai figures to miso-nikomi udon, fish, cityscapes, and a golden shrimp representing the city’s association with ebi. Pokémon has also found a place on Nagoya’s streets through the nationwide Poke Lid project. 

Some Nagoya manhole covers have moved beyond their original purpose and become collectibles. Retired covers can be sold as souvenirs, giving objects once designed to be ignored a second life as pieces of local culture. 

The result is a street-level record of Nagoya’s identity. Its castles, food, history, natural environment, and modern pop culture are represented not only in museums and landmarks, but also on the pavement itself.