One Card per Person, Please: Why Some Japanese Towns Are Giving Up on Manhole Cards

Japan has turned its sewer covers into art, and since 2016 it has turned that art into a collectible. Manhole cards are free, business-card-sized souvenirs: a photo of a local decorated manhole cover and its location on the front, the story behind the design on the back. Towns print them to promote their sewer systems and draw visitors, and hand out one per person at roadside stations and tourist offices. Around 26 million have been distributed so far, and on busy days up to about 4,000 can go out nationwide.

When a hobby becomes a headache

Success has a downside. Municipalities report collectors shouting at staff when stock runs out, parking illegally outside distribution points and even changing clothes to collect the same card several times. The foundation that supports the programme says some cards end up on resale sites, which defeats the point of a free giveaway.

The town of Shari in Hokkaido, whose cards showed the Shiretoko Peninsula and local wildlife, ended distribution in February 2025. A water department official said cards ran out fast, staff were yelled at by visitors who missed out, and the town decided it could not continue. There are no plans to restart. In Higashihiroshima, a card celebrating the local savoury pancake was paused at the end of September after cars blocked a narrow road in front of the tourist office and staff were told to hurry up while helping other visitors. The city is looking for a new handout location.

A small lesson in travel manners

For travellers, the fix is simple. Take one card, park where you are allowed to, and accept that “out of stock” is part of the game. These cards exist because local governments chose to spend money on a little gift for visitors. If the gift turns into a burden for the people handing it out, the easiest decision for a small town is to stop giving.