manhoru

I love it when I discover something that is so much better than it needs to be. It could have been made as a simple functional item, and there's nothing wrong with that, but somebody decided to put in the extra time and effort to make it beautiful.

Wouldn't it be lovely if every manhole cover was a potential work of art like these from Japan?

As far as I understand each Prefecture has it's own design for the Fire Service and then another (possibly more?) design for other applications, often showing off local plants animals specialities or traditions.

Many are left plain as they are cast like this one.

Whilst other designs are coloured using tree resins mixed with dyes that fills in the areas of the design between the raised iron.




I don't know if they're as slick and potentially lethal in the rain for bikers as the plain cast-iron kind we get in Britain... but at least you're more likely to spot one!

Links
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/gesuido/16400033.html

http://blog.goo.ne.jp/rekko_st

http://www1.c3-net.ne.jp/hamachan/manhoulu-syoukasen.htm

http://pinktentacle.com/2007/10/japanese-manhole-covers/