Junji Ito’s Manhole Covers in Nakatsugawa: A Horror-Art Walk

A town seen through Junji Ito’s eyes

A familiar face in an unfamiliar place can change an ordinary walk. Here, the surprise waits at pavement level: a horror-manga character framed by a local landscape. You can arrive for the artwork and leave remembering the streets around it. That is the pleasure of a cover trail with a real sense of place.

The artist, a Nakatsugawa tourism ambassador from Sakashita, created these drawings for the city. The municipal update of October 2 confirms the September additions. It follows an earlier announcement about their February unveiling; the covers have now moved from presentation to public placement.

Begin with the central five

The city places five designs within one kilometer of JR Nakatsugawa. Tomie with Mount Ena is on the west-side station-forecourt pavement. The newer stops are Tomie with Magome-juku at Chayazaka’s notice-board site, Slug Girl with Meijiza at Hito-Machi Terrace, the Naegi Castle design at Orai Garden, and the Nakasendo design at Honmachi Square.

Open the city’s illustrated map before choosing an order. A landmark drawn on a lid is a subject, not an address: the Magome-juku design, for example, belongs to this central-town walk. Searching for the landmark itself can send you away from the artwork you meant to find.

Give yourself room to notice how the drawings use their circular frames. Look first at the character, then at the background, and finally at the street outside the circle. A close photograph records the art; a second, wider picture preserves the discovery.

Leave room for Sakashita

Souichi’s cover is at the entrance to Sakashita Shrine, at 639 Sakashita. Treat it as a separate extension, rather than the final corner of the central loop. Check your onward and return transport before adding it.

For a short visit, the central cluster makes a satisfying choice. For a longer one, keeping Sakashita separate lets you enjoy both places without constantly watching the clock. Six designs need not become six hurried photographs.

Use the official map as your companion

The donation involved seven physical lids carrying six designs; those are different counts. The municipal page is the best reference for matching each pictured design to its placement.

Save that page while you have a reliable connection, then leave the phone aside between stops. Stay clear of shop entrances and passing pedestrians when composing pictures. If a cover is obstructed or a space is busy, returning later usually makes for a better visit than trying to force a photograph.

This is a public-art visit in its own right. Article coverage does not establish that every design is available to collect or scan in Manhole Quest.

Official and primary sources

Open the current source before travel. These links support the guide; they do not imply affiliation or permission to reproduce official images.

• Nakatsugawa City: completed series, locations and map — October 2, 2026
• Nakatsugawa City: earlier unveiling and installation plan