The manhole cover has become a city name card in japan. It began to solve practical problems, but also because of fine workmanship to become an art, and finally developed into a special culture. In almost every city in Japan, can see the manhole cover emblazoned with the animal, riotous with colour, scenic and historical stories or features of the city, a sense of design.

"Beautiful pattern" used in the covers this tradition began in 1880s, initiated by a Japanese called Yasutake Kameda. He was one of the architects of the Japanese national construction office. At that time, the city sewer system in Japan is similar, and Chinese cost expensive, but unobtrusive, in order to make the huge government projects are more public attention and popularity, Yasutake Kameda thought that "covers the surface more visual, more attractive eye ball" idea. Therefore, he encouraged the design covers every city, towns and rural areas developed with local characteristics. Gradually, in the popular Japanese character covers.

In 1985, an official of the Japanese Ministry of construction in order to attract public attention to the sewage system, launched a cover design contest, to allow people to design the City manhole cover. The result of Japanese folk covers design boom, there are a lot of local ad hoc and even become the city name card.

According to the "survey of Japanese society covers" art, Japan has more than 6000 kinds of design covers, and even set up several Museum covers. Japan has established 1.5 official "covers Association", consisting of 32 companies, responsible for the protection and research of Japan covers, also appeared a lot of "cover fans", they set up their own organization, website, forum. For example, many Japanese young people keen on collecting cover pictures, organized by theme covers for the route of the city runaway plan, find a treasure, take a picture, and then share online.

According to the association of these covers, manhole cover designed by Tokyo and other big city engineers at the end of 1850s, was originally intended to slip. Then, these engineers put such covers to small city and other areas, so far in some small towns can see the words "Tokyo design" or "NAGOYA" design covers. In the rainy season, motorcycle, bike slips on the covers on the incidence of accidents. The engineers increased the number of concave convex pattern design to improve the surface of the manhole cover slip lines, not only beautiful and.

For example, Osaka is the cherry blossoms in full bloom covers on the scene, Hokkaido is on the well cover designed by Conan covers three dancing cuttlefish dolls, detective Conan author living in the Daiei Cho is put Conan on the cover. In 2000 when Japan and Holland exchanges 400 anniversary, Nagasaki city to the Dutch first landed the scene as a pattern, the characteristics of manhole cover in the local setting, but also eye-catching landmarks to commemorate the text above. Japan manhole cover designs have a certain stress. Although there is no express provision, but generally do not use a real image. No matter how proud of the great man, I am afraid that some were trampled underfoot in the meaning of respect. Similarly, although places of interest are often used, but the national treasure of the shrine or temple rarely appear.

But most cover belongs to the local government or private public utilities, the Japanese government has the right to collect these exquisite art covers.