What started a few years back as a campaign to encourage tourism to some of Japan’s lesser known areas, has now turned into a full-blown kawaii invasion – what we’re referring to of course is the Pokémon manhole covers that have been popping up all over the country, from way up in the northern reaches of Hokkaido all the way down to the tropics of Okinawa.

The latest addition of three new ‘Pokélids’ to Japan’s Saitama prefecture brings the manhole cover count to 209.

In the unveiling, it was revealed that Saitama’s first editions to the Pokélid craze will feature Dragonite, Dratini, Corviknight, Dragonair and Skarmory. Each Pokélid is a one-of-a-kind original with a unique design that conveys the charms and culture of the local area through the use of the popular characters.

The concept driving the manhole takeover is propelled by the fact that no two Pokélids are the same, so – simply put – if you want to see one, then you will have to travel to the region.
Tourism is further encouraged by the fact that each Pokélid is installed as a PokéStop location within the augmented reality smartphone game Pokémon GO.

A Pokélid featuring Dragonair gliding alongside a propeller aeroplane can be found at Tokorozawa Aviation Memorial Park – the site of Japan’s first airfield and the current home to the Tokorozawa Aviation Museum.
The other two manhole covers also feature Pokémon that fly as a nod to the area’s rich history in air transportation. They can be found at the west exit of Tokorozawa station and at Tokorozawa’s culture hub; Sakura Town.

For the full list of Pokélid spots, head over to the official website where you can find their exact locations, and links to the Pokédex information page of each character.