It’s nearly iris time again here in Japan. I love how Japanese seasons – even specific months or weeks really – can be determined by what’s in bloom. The azaleas are currently ablaze on the hillsides and the wild wisteria are just reaching their end. Still, with a lifelong love of the color purple, I … Continue reading »
A few months ago, I reported on what I considered the most beautiful festivals I’ve stumbled across to date in Japan – the Yamaga Winter Lantern Festival. Before it got too dark that day, I managed to shoot this very artistic manhole cover in the center of town: Yamaga is not only known for its … Continue reading »
A few months ago, I posted a manhole cover from Aso Shirakawa, a town south of the massive Aso Volcano in Kumamoto Prefecture. A recent weekend trip saw me circumnavigating the volcano and I shot this manhole cover on the northern side of the mountain: The northern side of Mt Aso is home to Aso … Continue reading »
Just when I thought I was running low on manhole covers, a weekend away from Kumamoto landed me with at least a few more postings’ worth. One of the first stops the itinerary was the town of Takachiho, a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of place in a mountainous corner of central Kyushu.
I just got back last night from a great food-focused weekend in Tokyo and then suddenly remembered I hadn’t done a post for today. Racking both my brain and photo archives, I realized that I’m nearly out of manhole pictures. Luckily, I snapped a picture of this one over the weekend: Yes, astute readers, those … Continue reading »
I know I blogged about visiting the wintering cranes in Izumi back at the beginning of the New Year but I didn’t have a chance to share Izumi’s manhole covers. That’s right – manhole covers in the plural sense. Not only does Izumi pay homage to its feathered inhabitants, as seen on this cover: They also commissioned … Continue reading »
Alright, that’s a bit of an exaggeration but as I comb through the stacks of photo files, I realize that I came to the manhole game a bit too late. All of those towns and cities that I visited when I lived in Tokyo … yeah, I often forgot to look down. In fact, I … Continue reading »
It snowed today in Kumamoto. Not hard, mind you, and not enough to stick, but enough to make my visit to Kumamoto Castle with a friend a wee bit on the chilly side. But February is right around the corner, and with it come the first signs of spring – the arrival of my favorite … Continue reading »
Whew, it’s been a busy year! We’ve barely turned the calendar to 2013 and already the first mini-break of the season is in the books. I was lucky enough to tag along with my husband on a business trip to our former island home, where I shot this interesting manhole cover. The photo was actually … Continue reading »
I’m spending a nice relaxing holiday at home in Kumamoto with my family this year, but we were lucky enough to get in a quick pre-Christmas jaunt over the weekend. It was my first trip out of Kyushu by car and I must say, it was kind of thrilling to drive across the strait at … Continue reading »
