If you've ever lived in or traveled through Japan, you might have noticed that the country's manhole covers are often more than just functional street fixtures. Many feature unique designs, sometimes in collaboration with artists or celebrating local culture, like the popular Pokémon and Mobile Suit Gundam series that have their own themed covers.
On June 12, Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it's getting in on the action, revealing plans to create custom "specialty manhole covers" for 12 of its active Japanese players. These unique installations will be placed in the players' hometowns or other locations significant to their careers. The rollout kicks off on June 16 in Iwate Prefecture!
The first wave of installations will take place in Iwate Prefecture, honoring three local heroes: Yusei Kikuchi in Morioka, Shohei Ohtani in Oshu, and Roki Sasaki in Rikuzentakata. Each cover is custom-designed by an artist to cleverly incorporate the player's personality and background. MLB Japan's official Instagram account (@mlbjapan) will be unveiling the designs and sharing behind-the-scenes videos of the production process.
Installation Schedule
June 16: Yusei Kikuchi (Morioka, Iwate), Shohei Ohtani (Oshu, Iwate), Roki Sasaki (Rikuzentakata, Iwate)
June 17: Yu Darvish (Habikino, Osaka)
June 18: Yuki Matsui (Yokohama, Kanagawa)
June 19: Shota Imanaga (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka)
June 23: Lars Nootbaar (Higashimatsuyama, Saitama)
June 24: Seiya Suzuki (Arakawa, Tokyo)
June 25: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Bizen, Okayama)
June 26: Masataka Yoshida (Fukui, Fukui)
June 27: Kodai Senga (Gamagori, Aichi)
June 29: Tomoyuki Sugano (Sagamihara, Kanagawa)
These aren't just decorative pieces; they're packed with tech. Each cover features a built-in AR function. Fans on-site can scan the cover with their phones to watch a short video telling the story of that player's journey to the MLB. Additionally, MLB is teaming up with Japan Airlines (JAL) on a special campaign for fans visiting these locations, with more details to be announced on June 16 alongside the first installations.
▼ Yusei Kikuchi (Morioka, Iwate)
▼ Shohei Ohtani (Oshu, Iwate)
▼ Roki Sasaki (Rikuzentakata, Iwate)
▼ Yu Darvish (Habikino, Osaka)
▼ Yuki Matsui (Yokohama, Kanagawa)
▼ Shota Imanaga (Kitakyushu, Fukuoka)
▼ Lars Nootbaar (Higashimatsuyama, Saitama)
▼ Seiya Suzuki (Arakawa, Tokyo)
▼ Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Bizen, Okayama)
▼ Masataka Yoshida (Fukui, Fukui)
▼ Kodai Senga (Gamagori, Aichi)
▼ Tomoyuki Sugano (Sagamihara, Kanagawa)
The project aims to celebrate each player's journey from their hometown to the big leagues by tapping into Japan's unique manhole cover culture.
It's also a clear sign of MLB's commitment to the Japanese market, creating a stronger connection between the players and their local communities while simultaneously boosting tourism. We might just see more creative collaborations like this in the future.
via： MLB JAPAN 日本記者及川彩子 X 帳戶