Pop Japan

For the rest of the world, manholes are only necessary to keep people from the sewers, and are all but forgotten. For Japan, manholes are a works of art. There is even a Japanese Society of Manhole Covers dedicated to the collection of Japan's colorful drain covers. 

There are approximately 12,000 different kinds of manhole covers in Japan. Each design includes a symbol representing the town or area. Landmarks, people, festival, and notable plants and animals are also added to the design to highlight the features and culture of the place. Okinawa was the first city to design a manhole cover in 1977. It used the fish symbol. 

Today, there is a trend in Japan called drainspotting where manhole enthusiasts or "manholers" collect as many manhole designs as they can. 

Photo by Daiju Azuma. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Tags: Others, manhole, sewer, Japan, manhole art, Japanese Society of Manhole Covers, Okinawa, drainspotting, manholers