Manhole Covers

Great art can be found in the most interesting places. While browsing around, I happened on this story in Japan Today titled Drainspotting: Japanese Manhole Covers.

Today, nearly 95% of the 1,780 municipalities in Japan sport their very own customized manhole covers, with imagery that evokes each region’s cultural identity, from flora and fauna to landmarks and local festivals.
As a testament to the Japanese aesthetic sensibility in all aspects of life, these pieces of urban art are colorful, intricately designed, and unique to their locale - from Kanto to Chubu to Disneyland Japan.

So... of course, I was intrigued enough to go searching for online examples and came across a collection showing hundreds of Japanese manhole covers on flickr. Here's a few to whet your appetite:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8d548a06c698.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/bc487c5444b5.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/c7d3a85d0fd3.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2e2df28ba8b3.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/aca7e8783379.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/b30d3555b507.jpg[/atsimg]

So... how about it, ATSers. What are the manhole covers like in your town? Are they weird, spacey, give directions for the Illuminati?

Inquiring minds want to know.

wow, I had no idea!

i've never paid much attention to ours, so they are probably non descript looking..

Here's one for ATS:

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/446c76174d9f.jpg[/atsimg]

reply to post by masqua


It's great to see some cultures express art and apply beauty almost everywhere. It helps the mind. It has not the same effect as a rusty squared patterned manhole on a fractured asphalt or cement road, near a broken pavement... next to yellow, dried grass filled with dandelions...

But I found a few interesting ones out of Japan...

images.google.ca...://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8M4A38LyBBs/SmTDavzeZFI/AAAAAAAAMMI/564ugMpLFIo/s400/creative%2Bmanholes1.jpg&imgrefur l=http://wierdup.blogspot.com/2009/07/15-unique-manholes.html&usg=__Vh71

And a few others from Japan... ( 2 or 3 are the same as the OP )

www.bloggersbase.com...

He! Who would have known I would have been looking at manholes pictures this morning! Great find! I had no idea something like that was being made somewhere on Earth.