In Japan, where enthusiasts are deeply interested in various fields and are full of passion, people who are interested in manhole lids and eager to collect them appear one after another, resulting in a shortage.

According to an Asahi Shimbun report, Japan's Maebashi announced on the 29th of last month that it would sell manhole lids to be discarded for 3,000 yen (31,000 won) each, attracting about 100 people from all over the country to purchase.

The manhole lid sold to the public by the city is about 60 in diameter. cm , Weight 40 kg It is 'cast iron (alloy of iron containing more than 1.7% carbon)', and the lid was produced from 1983 to 2012. Some were said to have been used in actual sewage systems.

The craze is the result of the unexpected interest and popularity of the "Manhole Card" introduced by several local governments through newspapers.

Each city and county, which has confirmed demand and popularity, sells manhole lids and displays unique shapes to earn income.

A man in his 40s who came to buy a lid from Tokyo said, "It is valuable because it disappeared due to the unique design at the time of production and the merger of local governments." "I decided to purchase it because it was a waste that the industrial heritage, which shows the background of the era through design, became scrap metal," he said.

"It exceeded expectations, with more than 100 people applying for purchase," said a person in charge of sewage maintenance at the city's water bureau.

Meanwhile, some enthusiasts are said to collect manhole covers, hold events such as regular exhibitions, and exchange information.