Maebashi, which is 77 miles (124 km) north of Tokyo, put ten second-hand manhole covers on the market for 3,000 yen ($27; £20) with three different designs, and was surprised to receive over 200 applications to buy them, broadcaster NHK reports

According to TV Asahi, the winners may have grabbed a bargain, given that new covers cost some 60,000 yen each, but some of the lucky collectors have still yet to decide what to do with them.

One buyer, who took the day off work to drive up from Tokyo to collect his 40 kg (88 lb) purchase, shares the dilemma of many people who make off-the-wall purchases: where to keep it now that he's got it. "I'll put it in my porch, then I'll think about what to do with it," he told NHK.