Jeremy KitchenAug 22, 2023

Starting a new series here on the Kitchen show: manhole covers.

Many cities and regions in Japan have their own specially designed manhole covers. https://livejapan.com/en/in-hokkaido/in-pref-hokkaido/in-sapporo_chitose/article-a0001529/

I’m not going to try to catch ‘em all, but I’ll try to share the ones I come across in my journeys!

#Japan #DrainSpotting

Manhole Mania: Exploring Japan’s Trendy Manhole Cover Art! | LIVE JAPAN travel guide

Have you ever heard of the word "manholer"? This word refers to a person who likes manholes. It has been 40 years since "Design Manholes", or manhole covers with designs, came to Japan. As these lids gradually increased, so did the number of manhole enthusiasts, called "manholers", throughout the country. With a favorable turn of events, the number of "Manhole Cards", introduced last year, has already exceeded 1 million pieces. Who would have thought that opening a manhole event would be a great success and would lead to the debut of enthusiast sites in China and the U.S.? The organizers were also bewildered by the unexpected enthusiasm and wondered why these people were so captivated with these covers.

LIVE JAPAN
Show threadJeremy KitchenAug 22, 2023

First up we have one from Hakodate city!

Hakodate really loaves their five sided objects. They even have 5 sided bollards!

This is of course a reference to Fort Goryokaku, a large star shaped “bastion fort” in the center of the city.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gory%C5%8Dkaku

So it’s only natural they’d have a star shape on their manhole covers.

#Japan #DrainSpotting #Hakodate

Goryōkaku - Wikipedia

Show threadJeremy KitchenAug 22, 2023

Another from Hakodate: squid!

Hakodate is well known for their squid production. The morning market near the station you can buy live squid!

These 3 look like they’re having a bit of a dance.

#Hakodate #Japan #DrainSpotting

Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 8, 2023

Did I say I had some hot train content in the queue? I meant hot *drain* content.

This one is from Kikonai, a little town west of Hakodate along the South Hokkaido Railway, but also has a station on the Hokkaido Shinkansen, in fact it's the first station on the line in Hokkaido!

The ship on the cover is the Kanrin Maru, which sank nearby in the 1800s and there's a monument to nearby!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_warship_Kanrin_Maru

#DrainSpotting #Japan #Hokkaido

Japanese warship Kanrin Maru - Wikipedia

Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 8, 2023

This one is from Esashi, on the very west coast of the Oshima Peninsula.

Featured are Heishi Rock, famous in local folklore, Kaiyo Maru, another Japanese Warship, a seagull, and what looks to be a breaking wave curling around the bottom and right side.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamome_Island
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_frigate_Kaiyō_Maru

#DrainSpotting #Japan #Hokkaido

Kamome Island - Wikipedia

Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 8, 2023

Near Yakumo I found this one with 3 seashells and 2 seabirds. There's some Japanese writing on it, くす is all I can make out. Around the outside is what seems to be churning ocean waves.

Fun fact: there's also some Hiragana that says おすい (osui) and that got me curious, because I'd seen that on some others.

Turns out that's just the word for sewage. Oops. https://jisho.org/search/osui

#DrainSpotting #Japan #Hokkaido

osui - Jisho.org

Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 25, 2023

In Setana there's a fairly simple design with mountains and waves and clouds.

#DrainSpotting #Hokkaido #Japan

Show threadJeremy Kitchen

Around the point in Suttsu we have the local mascot (I can't find the name" flying with a couple of seagulls through a windmill farm. Suttsu is very windy and there is a large wind farm in the area.

https://www.guidoor.jp/en/places/6188

There's a large camping area right on the beach in front of the windfarm, and while it's quite pretty I don't think I’d want to pitch a tent there! Too much wind!

#DrainSpotting #Japan #Hokkaido

Futa Wind Farm - Guidoor

Suttsu town is a town of wind, where one of the strongest gales in Japan, a local wind called "Dashikaze" blows. By making effective use of this gale, the town became the first local government in Japan to generate wind power. Currently, the town has 11 wind turbines in operation, transforming the…

Guidoor
Sep 25, 2023 at 3:27amWeb
Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 25, 2023

And now we're back to one of my favorite towns I've visited, Iwanai! I don't think this is the local mascot Tarumaru, but still pretty adorable.

#DrainSpotting #Japan #Hokkaido

Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 25, 2023

Just up the coast from Iwanai in a little village called Tomari we have a large cliff dropping into the with a couple of fishing boats in the foreground, and some seagulls and clouds in the sky.

A little odd to me that it doesn't depict the local nuclear power plant, but maybe there is one that does and I just missed it!

Fun fact, I’ve ridden past a number of nuclear power plants, but this is the first one I'd ridden *under*. (sort of)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomari_Nuclear_Power_Plant

#DrainSpotting #Hokkaido #Japan

Tomari Nuclear Power Plant - Wikipedia

Show threadJeremy KitchenSep 25, 2023

To the west of Sapporo is a little tourist trap of a town called Otaru. When I went through there was a cruise ship in port so the place was overrun with tourists, but I managed to not only find a nice quiet place to have a cup of coffee, but these two manhole covers!

It did seem like a really neat town, though, lots of stuff to see and do, and quite close to Sapporo by train!

#DrainSpotting #Hokkaido #Japan