There’s a new trend in Japan where people are visiting dams to claim trading cards from the dams management offices and keep them as collector items. The cards can only be retrieved by making the trip up in the mountains, which makes them a bit exclusive if you will.
The trading cards look a lot like other trading cards, but with a photo of a dam on the front. They also have letters on the card that indicate the type and purpose of the dam. For example, F means flood control and G means gravity control. The back of the cards have random facts about the dam as well.
One dam official explained that they try and have a conversation with each person who comes up and asks for one of the cards. Many people seem to have come upon a newfound respect for the dams of the country.
“I think people’s views about dams have changed, as they used to regard them as something that faced public opposition for their construction, but now consider them as something that can protect people’s lives from disasters. We can feel proud of our job to manage this dam when we see many visitors.”
