The Street Beneath Your Feet: Japanese Manhole Covers

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://w.sharethis.com/button/sharethis.js#publisher=0d650ffe-1ec7-4395-883b-24e806d21a65&type=website"></script><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwBcIteh9h6NbcFf5XxINigZV20Z2wOqzj0Oa6iTbZrDx0j_ZQo2xR-VTjbP3GTSL_TrYVaupd_4NlKVgs-J3r_Ap0KJ7llD2Cmvb_pPXDV7sMS8DPNX10xT4-US3qyZ0o5d8oPxSy6c/s1600-h/ContactSheet5.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324335637215738178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJwBcIteh9h6NbcFf5XxINigZV20Z2wOqzj0Oa6iTbZrDx0j_ZQo2xR-VTjbP3GTSL_TrYVaupd_4NlKVgs-J3r_Ap0KJ7llD2Cmvb_pPXDV7sMS8DPNX10xT4-US3qyZ0o5d8oPxSy6c/s400/ContactSheet5.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 487px;" /></a><br /><br />Art can be found anywhere. And manhole covers are no exception.<br /><br />The Japanese have been creating and manufacturing ornate and decorative manhole covers for many years. Some with color (sand or enamel), and some just crafted of steel and or iron. There are thousands of photo galleries and flickr sets of these but here I pulled a few of my personal favorites and categorized them, first by color, then by subject, for you.<br /><br />After the images there are links to many more images from around the web.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Color:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn6IP0yirc5Uz3xqYdApppPzp3RmugHm-RgJkU7EjrvRp3fsKpVuTyRFDrypJtldx5Dp4hGTbokzQUC8fGZYe6d7PYttyOqmjalIPMYRa1x3BTd3bDr4qLkHM9OyuAPI3KqeoaJqF6no/s1600-h/ContactSheet2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324335864283829746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirn6IP0yirc5Uz3xqYdApppPzp3RmugHm-RgJkU7EjrvRp3fsKpVuTyRFDrypJtldx5Dp4hGTbokzQUC8fGZYe6d7PYttyOqmjalIPMYRa1x3BTd3bDr4qLkHM9OyuAPI3KqeoaJqF6no/s400/ContactSheet2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 531px; height: 475px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykOWIa8LRJFJwjZEkwbY6BP427eEAixfw-TKo3JHS8Y2m791yU8MnAODma3KFHhuT3YjTZ0RjacggJVXEcHOAJFXtLxNEjmO3nKqlA90IIiwja6mG5yulGrUpWFCLNH4Vbp2rPgIac6I/s1600-h/ContactSheet3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324335770549209170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykOWIa8LRJFJwjZEkwbY6BP427eEAixfw-TKo3JHS8Y2m791yU8MnAODma3KFHhuT3YjTZ0RjacggJVXEcHOAJFXtLxNEjmO3nKqlA90IIiwja6mG5yulGrUpWFCLNH4Vbp2rPgIac6I/s400/ContactSheet3.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 528px; height: 482px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zGWneztlXAbiPFXqUGX1AyghrS-nCJQZmP6UxcvTSXrZ8_WdTLHEmFHDhcMQRrh-dCsDc1gwYqaH9qaqczI7kEOTY2LSLmnoRyCSUOVYwE5oyzYvjbNSD2e-2bjwq9xNYXUas1NmfFc/s1600-h/ContactSheet4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324335707140763330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4zGWneztlXAbiPFXqUGX1AyghrS-nCJQZmP6UxcvTSXrZ8_WdTLHEmFHDhcMQRrh-dCsDc1gwYqaH9qaqczI7kEOTY2LSLmnoRyCSUOVYwE5oyzYvjbNSD2e-2bjwq9xNYXUas1NmfFc/s400/ContactSheet4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 528px; height: 473px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_cznBhxRJa3qwk0yX3cYmLF1E4oyej8fP50sLsT73a2dWzGUysruAQrZt44DoHLnKHss2zpgU7vMFWB3Ib2AkF2RDQMN45VTECqJqIxqpwzuuKSD_nYpCY1TJV7AbEujAeQiGNpxMC4/s1600-h/ContactSheet1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324335926485110546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY_cznBhxRJa3qwk0yX3cYmLF1E4oyej8fP50sLsT73a2dWzGUysruAQrZt44DoHLnKHss2zpgU7vMFWB3Ib2AkF2RDQMN45VTECqJqIxqpwzuuKSD_nYpCY1TJV7AbEujAeQiGNpxMC4/s400/ContactSheet1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 525px; height: 486px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Living creatures:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzYcbmPXxAX8j1rnizYSoQ1k5ALYUkbrGFzW7faUVyxOZSbJ9Bo6MbiYFyOFW0gaDFvt7YAwY4Ove9bWkPP86VSeb2xDOpU9PagQYCJ29nSEkn00xZy8QI9gNisIdiBjdDaNE2BGSGtw/s1600-h/dogs.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324338237487876306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZzYcbmPXxAX8j1rnizYSoQ1k5ALYUkbrGFzW7faUVyxOZSbJ9Bo6MbiYFyOFW0gaDFvt7YAwY4Ove9bWkPP86VSeb2xDOpU9PagQYCJ29nSEkn00xZy8QI9gNisIdiBjdDaNE2BGSGtw/s400/dogs.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 524px; height: 154px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gmSKngCoUyjPFnkGVdsSgd0TdokUsHmYrCO8GwjgBTZLLe4_ddhpyBVdj6O8nnKssbHCccXhnKIahNuIltudV7YxNXSADO1MczKd8UqWqBlqk5-bU-ltyVnfs__TRzQJziENssM7Y-Y/s1600-h/ContactSheet-003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324337491714170322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gmSKngCoUyjPFnkGVdsSgd0TdokUsHmYrCO8GwjgBTZLLe4_ddhpyBVdj6O8nnKssbHCccXhnKIahNuIltudV7YxNXSADO1MczKd8UqWqBlqk5-bU-ltyVnfs__TRzQJziENssM7Y-Y/s400/ContactSheet-003.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 526px; height: 508px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_v-huMiFHfncHOH5uoxA2fWy6KISD8tfX28on9sf_onn2MnwSnbwULV1t6I-ERdksMnMhe232_DeXK3_-Loo-GR7mThg61tcrqid3DyZLOwRyJy-rNz4ora1DfDBlDngd0ZfDababTI/s1600-h/ContactSheet-001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324337985165947106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_v-huMiFHfncHOH5uoxA2fWy6KISD8tfX28on9sf_onn2MnwSnbwULV1t6I-ERdksMnMhe232_DeXK3_-Loo-GR7mThg61tcrqid3DyZLOwRyJy-rNz4ora1DfDBlDngd0ZfDababTI/s400/ContactSheet-001.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 523px; height: 509px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2fNQGXCPo3JymadZGNvQiS7efVnHMFREke_d1IrbWyqAo30-bbm0FQtCbedU0y9KBzYOCSGNECiHiwDUsMOhhci5Djw0udRKYliRLoPsL9sWGk-OKAAoqBfwRFw4HV1fjbmqjHbSbiY/s1600-h/ContactSheet-002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324337916004050866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2fNQGXCPo3JymadZGNvQiS7efVnHMFREke_d1IrbWyqAo30-bbm0FQtCbedU0y9KBzYOCSGNECiHiwDUsMOhhci5Djw0udRKYliRLoPsL9sWGk-OKAAoqBfwRFw4HV1fjbmqjHbSbiY/s400/ContactSheet-002.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 522px; height: 503px;" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flora and landscapes:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNfjoLwbKtq5r_5l9WBRcGcBkL_klRGVrIrnC0e-_lgz0PU6IN8TduODNaRm9YKc_O7RwUMcKfIiAtRgc0lYJyMRXPNlQNSXpz3uJt96Q8H9Fr7g7XyEsnNJqavrSR2d1VMrdXLwz8oY/s1600-h/ContactSheet-001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324339591632848466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLNfjoLwbKtq5r_5l9WBRcGcBkL_klRGVrIrnC0e-_lgz0PU6IN8TduODNaRm9YKc_O7RwUMcKfIiAtRgc0lYJyMRXPNlQNSXpz3uJt96Q8H9Fr7g7XyEsnNJqavrSR2d1VMrdXLwz8oY/s400/ContactSheet-001.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 521px; height: 483px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU_G1cLJw3x9UFoQOtgv-1YEakaH1h-YzEiGFCYdDU1bVVOkM6joa5Xmj0uGrMa1EycQ3K6TKLUq20pMZAabYvLc53kwXWiEQ8-Mkg6EwreQRoPfehyphenhyphenCrofvkRP0V5Sap2A0rYDJvHn4/s1600-h/ContactSheet-003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324339524948524210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU_G1cLJw3x9UFoQOtgv-1YEakaH1h-YzEiGFCYdDU1bVVOkM6joa5Xmj0uGrMa1EycQ3K6TKLUq20pMZAabYvLc53kwXWiEQ8-Mkg6EwreQRoPfehyphenhyphenCrofvkRP0V5Sap2A0rYDJvHn4/s400/ContactSheet-003.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 523px; height: 478px;" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">People and Industry:</span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnn8ov1VxjM-c8iGFk9CcV9NL5a48Bq9JYuUqcuzfGOkvn5lL7sNJtSeMXPOlYIXuq4D4u5ea6KtPxEZrR22hw_PiMwowDIWmlrBz5SJtHuO5FVylPUyzR7CxscAbOBehOC1SpemgINM/s1600-h/ContactSheet-001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324341614422986050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTnn8ov1VxjM-c8iGFk9CcV9NL5a48Bq9JYuUqcuzfGOkvn5lL7sNJtSeMXPOlYIXuq4D4u5ea6KtPxEZrR22hw_PiMwowDIWmlrBz5SJtHuO5FVylPUyzR7CxscAbOBehOC1SpemgINM/s400/ContactSheet-001.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 518px; height: 489px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWITKjhcvG2oOfgKkYwtm5DNbds-vUkcopIg1mv_13pHfhE7cfUUmz_01_-OG8wpkjW91WMRuj9gE_MD44DWryKAwh74RFY7KzGWH8alVK9o6uVbTfzZDWtTfeSKJmxhp9ZgyVB9qdOU/s1600-h/ContactSheet-003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324341551232326194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWITKjhcvG2oOfgKkYwtm5DNbds-vUkcopIg1mv_13pHfhE7cfUUmz_01_-OG8wpkjW91WMRuj9gE_MD44DWryKAwh74RFY7KzGWH8alVK9o6uVbTfzZDWtTfeSKJmxhp9ZgyVB9qdOU/s400/ContactSheet-003.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; width: 518px; height: 494px;" /></a><br /><br />The majority of the above images were photographed between 1997 and 2002 and are from the online Japanese Manhole Art Museum (site is in Japanese) and can be found <a href="http://www6.airnet.ne.jp/manhole/zukan/zukan.html">here.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Links for other japanese manhole cover art and online galleries:</span><br /><br />• There are 302 images of japanese manhole covers on flickr, see them <a href="http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=japanese%20manhole%20covers&w=all&s=int">here.</a><br />• And a particularly good flickr set /collection of Japanese manhole covers <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/28074232@N06/sets/72157612036691185/"> here.</a><br /><a href="http://www.pinktentacle.com/">•Pink Tentacle</a> has a great collection of links and some images of Japanese manhole covers <a href="http://www.pinktentacle.com/2007/10/japanese-manhole-covers/">here.</a><br />• And you can see some more images <a href="http://damncoolpics.blogspot.com/2006/12/japanese-manhole-cover-art.html">here.</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">More links to world wide manhole art, history and books:</span><br /><br />• Links to other manhole covers from all over the world can be found here on <a href="http://www.drainspotting.com/links.php">Drainspotting.</a><br />• <a href="http://users.rcn.com/fgardino/History.htm">Manhole covers, etc.</a><br />• <a href="http://www.manhole.ca/history.htm">Manhole.ca (fine sewer art)</a><br />• <a href="http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/manholes/manhole.html">NY manholes</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D19%26ref%255F%3Dnb%255Fss%255Fb%26y%3D18%26field-keywords%3Dmanhole%2520covers%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dstripbooks&tag=iishish-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957">Books About Manhole Covers </a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=iishish-20&l=ur2&o=1" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;" width="1" />

The Street Beneath Your Feet: Japanese Manhole Covers

Art can be found anywhere. And manhole covers are no exception. The Japanese have been creating and manufacturing ornate and decorative manh...

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