Uncovering Japan's Amazing Manhole Art

Where: Japan

When traveling in Japan, you needn't step into a museum to see local art. You'll find it by just looking down at the surprisingly beautiful sewer covers while stepping across a city street.

In fact, 95 percent of the 1,780 municipalities in the country have the pretty manhole covers, according to Drainspotting, a new book by Tokyo photographer and artist Remo Camerota that documents the art form. Offering cool-looking urban art in unexpected places, the sewer covers are customized for each region.

For example, the above Little Red Riding Hood cover in Ishibashi in Tochigi Prefecture pays tribute to its German sister city, the same one that the Grimm Brothers lived and wrote their dark fairy tales, the author explains on his blog. Though you'll see everything from flora and fauna to local festivals and well-known manga characters depicted on the discs. Surprisingly, the bright manhole covers aren't made with paint. According to Camerota, a tree resin gives the covers their color.

The book isn't out yet, but you can get a peek at the art by downloading the companion piece, Drainspotting Extras, on iTunes. The app has more than 100 photos of the manhole covers that aren't in the book. And it's available for the iPad, which is nice for gadget-toting travelers.

[Photos: Drainspotting, iTunes Store]

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