It's a necessary addition, don't get us wrong, but they are undoubtedly unsightly.

Knowing that they cannot do away with it altogether, a city in Japan decided to pretty them up with anime characters instead.

If you already love the idea, here's the icing on the cake - the designs glow in the dark!

Illuminating the streets

Reuters reported that officials at Tokorozawa city in Tokyo began the initiative with designs from anime series such as ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’ and ‘Gundam.’

This is also part of advertising a new entertainment complex focusing on Japanese popular culture that is scheduled to open in November.

The streets in the city currently have 27 designs which are illuminated by solar-powered LED lights.

City officials also hope that the illuminated manholes will help illuminate areas and reduce crime at night.

To be honest, this sounds like the perfect addition to our streets in Malaysia, considering our street lights always go out without any reason at all.