Kitakami's Cute Manhole Covers

I'm still mad for manhole covers and in Japan that isn't the weirdest thing I could be interested in. On a recent trip to Iwate, we stopped through the little town of Kitakami and I fell in love with the little bits of ironwork beneath our feet.

Three symbols of the city appear here including the sakura of the city's official tree, the white lillies of the city's official flower and the grey wagtail, also known as the city's official bird. 

I was a little surprised to note than in many places in this little town the coloration of the manhole cover changed, but this is the only one I managed to get a good picture of.

If you're ever in the area, make sure to keep an eye out for the the fancy manhole covers.