NAVFAC, PWD Introduce CFAY Designer Manhole Cover

Photo By James Kimber | YOKOSUKA, Japan (May 20, 2024) - Naval Facilities Far East installed the first designer manhole cover on Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Designer manhole covers were first introduced in 1977 when Okinawa's Naha City officials installed a new sewer system and placed custom covers, called designer manhole covers, over the openings. Today, it's estimated more than 90-percent of municipalities in Japan have at least one designer manhole cover with some boasting elaborate designs. (U.S. Navy photo by James Kimber)  

YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JAPAN

05.24.2024

Story by James Kimber 

Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka

Yokosuka’s Naval Facilities, or NAVFAC, Far East unveiled a designer manhole cover last week carrying on a modern Japanese tradition that’s grown in popularity over the last 50 years.

The Public Works Department Production Team fashioned the cover after the Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka command crest with the hiragana for “osui,” or sewage, near the cover’s edge.

Satomi Furuno is a Production Control Specialist at NAVFAC. She said her team believe the manhole covers are a good item to help build deeper relationships within the community because it can go beyond language barriers and cultural differences. It was also fun project.

The covers being replaced were nearing the end of their service life and “NAVFAC was looking for a manufacturer who could provide products in a timely manner,” Furuno said.

“I knew that designer manhole covers were very popular in Japan because my sister-in-law enjoys collecting cards of manhole covers produced by Japanese cities and had actually gone out to take pictures of them,” Furuno said.

Japan’s designer manhole covers began in Okinawa’s Naha City in 1977. The covers were crafted with “happy fish in water that had been cleaned by the new sewer system,” according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan article. The initiative promoted the infrastructure’s installation and helped to bring awareness to the sewage system’s need. Other cities soon followed and, by 1981, city government’s added fluorescent and reflective paints to the covers for safety and aesthetics. Today, it’s estimated more than 90-percent of Japan’s municipalities maintain at least one designer manhole cover.

The customized covers have become more elaborate over the years and highlight the area’s claim to fame. They feature castles, local crops, sports teams, anime characters, ancient battles, and anything else imaginable. They’ve become so entrenched in Japanese society, that there are enthusiasts – like Furuno’s sister-in-law – who travel the country to visit each one and build large photo galleries in their phones. These hobbyists are called “manholers” and many local governments have taken notice. Cities will occasionally retire manhole covers and auction them off to collectors interested in owning a heavy piece of local culture. National organizations devoted to the metal art coordinate annual conventions. In Kansai, a region famous for raising wagyu cattle, it’s possible to find vendors at festivals who grill steaks on replica covers to sear the street ornament’s unique patterns on each cut.

NAVFAC and Public Works plan to install at least three of the colorized manhole covers outdoors “somewhere around the Main Gate and Kosano Park,” Furuno said.

The monochromatic versions will be installed at random and finding them will be like an “Easter Egg Hunt around base,” she said.

The one that was first installed is in a spot that is about as random as possible on Main Base. The monochromatic version of CFAY's designer manhole cover is tucked away behind the Yokosuka Base Water Treatment Plant on the edge of Mitscher Street, and down a narrow side street only accessible via E Street.

The installation's Public Works Officer, Cmdr. Tyler Scharar, said that he hopes the covers can "help deepen the our relationship with our neighbors in Yokosuka City."

"Fleet Activities Yokosuka Public Works Department is proud to bring this Japanese cultural tradition to our base for the enjoyment and enrichment of our 26,000 tenants and visitors," he said. "This effort was led by our PWD Japanese teammates who are totally committed to the success of the U.S. Navy and the many Sailors and families who get to call Yokosuka their home."

• Date Taken: 05.24.2024
• Date Posted: 06.14.2024 02:54
• Story ID: 473828
• Location: YOKOSUKA, KANAGAWA, JP