This manhole cover is from Tsuwano, a small castle town in the mountains of western Iwami. It's a very popular tourist destination, and one of the things it is known for is its canals and ditches filled with colorful koi (carp). The town only has about 5,000 inhabitants, and they are outnumbered by the
carp. They (the carp, not the inhabitants :)) were kept in the canals to serve as an emergency food supply in times of famine or siege.
That's a place where I have always wanted to go to Japan and see all the beautiful koi they have. The best koi come from overseas.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful pictures of koi, WOW! I can just imagine how wonderful it would be to see all these koi up there. A trip I will need to take in the future for sure.
Sincerely,
Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish and Koi Guy
http://koi-fish-pond-info.blogspot.com