The Art Of Japanese Manhole Covers

Your current favourite manhole fact: they’re round so that they can’t fall in the manhole, even when they’re turned sideways. Your new favourite manhole fact: in Japan, they serve as canvasses for hundreds of beautiful, vibrant artworks:

Photographer Remo Camerota catalogs the circular works in his new book Drainspotting, which recently took the award for Best Art Book at the NY Book Festival. There’s also an accompanying iPad app.

The manhole covers feature a diversity of subjects, though firemen figure in the scenes with disproportionate frequency. Another, slightly more personal manhole cover fact: I totally am considering you boring, unadorned U.S. manhole covers underachievers. [Drainspotting via Core 77]