Artistic Animal Inspired Japanese Manholes

Hi friends! Today we came across some amazing animal inspired art that we of course, had to share with all of you. "Japan is a country full of amazing art. Some of it is housed within museums and galleries while others are right underneath our feet. I'm talking, of course, about Japan's peculiar obsession with manhole covers. Just about anywhere in the country you can find stylized manhole covers, each more beautiful and intricate than the next." Via thisiscollossal.com

Many of these beautiful works of art are inspired or based on animals! Now you've got our attention. We love seeing how artists incorporate natural elements into their work, especially the beauty and diversity of animals. "According to the Japan Society of Manhole Covers (yes, that's a thing) today there are almost 6000 artistic manhole covers throughout Japan. And according to their latest findings, the largest single category are trees, followed by landscapes, floral designs and birds." via thisiscollossal.com

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"As to why this phenomenon developed, signs point to a high-ranking bureaucrat in the construction ministry who, in 1985, came up with the idea of allowing municipalities to design their own manhole covers. His objective was to raise awareness for costly sewage projects and make them more palatable for taxpayers." via thisiscollossal.com

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"Thanks to a few design contests and subsequent publications, the manhole craze took off and municipalities were soon competing with each other to see who could come up with the best designs." via thisiscollossal.com

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