Nipponica

The mayor of Moka, Tochigi Prefecture, announced in a recent regular press conference that city employees spray painted the design on a total of 59 grates at 19 locations, mainly in areas where thefts of the grates have occurred.

In the city, there has been a string of grate thefts: 25 pieces in six cases in fiscal 2022, 40 grates on 25 occasions in fiscal 2023, and 23 in 11 cases as of the end of June this fiscal year. Without covers, vehicles and pedestrians are at risk of falling into the gutters, so measures to prevent theft were urgently needed.