Storytelling through public infrastructure in Japan 🇯🇵- on my first day in Osaka I noticed that each manhole I cycled past had a unique design on it. Here’s a small collection of pictures of manhole covers I saw over the first few days in Japan (I forgot to take more pics after) & here’s ChatGPT’s explanation: What looks like everyday infrastructure in Japan is actually a national art movement. These beautifully designed manhole covers—manfōru kēbā—originated in the mid‑1980s thanks to Yasutake Kameda, a visionary civil servant at the Ministry of Construction. Kameda wanted to gain public support for expensive new sewer projects, so he proposed something unusual: let every city design its own manhole covers to reflect local culture. The result? Cherry blossoms in Tokyo, deer in Nara, Osaka’s castles, Akita’s fireworks, even anime and Pokémon characters in some towns. What started as a practical campaign to raise awareness turned into a beloved form of urban storytelling and local pride. Today, over 12,000 unique designs can be found across Japan, and “manhole tourism” is a real trend, with collectors hunting for rare and colorful covers. & this track is something I Shazammed somewhere in Osaka - but I can’t recall where 🙇🏻‍♂️