O

Oe. Kyoto Prefecture. Yes, I've been back to Oe. Can't get enough of that Oni Museum. It's a really nice place. Lovely, friendly people.

Oe. And of course they have great oni manhole covers. This is because of the legend of the Oeyama oni, Shuten Doji, slain at the emperor's command and with some help from the gods by Minamoto no Yorimitsu (944-1021) and his men, disguised as monks.

Oe. That's by no means all Yorimitsu got up to. I'm hoping that somewhere in the Japan Alps there's a town with a Tsuchigumo manhole cover.

Oe.

Oe.

Oe.

Oe.

Ogaki. Gifu Prefecture. Just stopped briefly on the way back from Yoro. A word of warning - if you're going to visit the Yoro Site of Reversible Destiny (highly recommended) do so in fine weather or you too might slip over on the wet, painted ground and split your head open like a summer watermelon like I did. They've actually started providing free stack hats since my visit. How cool is that?

Oita City. Oita Prefecture.

Oita. This one's really cool and clever. See how many hidden sea creatures you can spot.

Okayama City. Okayama Prefecture. Most of the manhole covers feature Momotarou, the diminutive Peach Boy, local legendary hero and defeater of oni.

Okayama.

Okayama.

Okayama. Some things are just Momotarou-themed. Like a grate with peaches on it.

Okayama. Note Momotarou's buddies: a dog, a monkey and a pheasant.

Okayama.

Okayama. Not Momotarou! This is from Korakuen, a famous garden. It has a very cool pond with many tortoises. Turtles. Chelonians. Whatever. And frogs.

Okayama. Large version of the Momotarou-and-buddies picture. This shot was sodding hard to get because it's so big that I had to hold the camera over my head instead of using the viewfinder and also the only one I found was on a small but horrendously busy street right near the railway station so I had musuko Jimi wrangling the taxis for me. It was also snowing. We were in town for a 50 Kaitenz oneman at Crazy Mama. Apt perhaps.

Osaka City. Osaka Prefecture. This one is in Nakatsu but they're all over the place.

Osaka. Near Hankyu Umeda.

Osaka.

Osaka.

Osaka. This is right near Kamitsujinja, my local shrine in Juso.

Osaka. In Tennoji. Nice area. Home of Yamachan's - Best. Takoyaki. Ever.

Osaka. Yay! Pikachu's footprints! This is outside the Pokemon Centre in Umeda.

Osaka.

Osaka. On the Dotonbori arcade in front of Kanidoraku. This is actually a kind of plaque made from old manhole cover.

Osaka. A familiar design, but this one, near some temple in Abiko, had really nice highlighting by the sand.

Osaka. This design first made the page back in 2002 but this one is special. It's right near the east exit from Hankyu Juso station and it features the shoes of my cousin, the awesome Doctor/Professor/Dean Sheila Cameron.

Otaru. Hokkaido Prefecture. Otters! If I'd known I'd have got my arse to Otaru sooner. I was there for the Rising Sun Rock Festival 2009 in Ezo which was the best rock festival ever. No contest. Not just brilliant music (including a truly awesome classic punk jam session) but paintings and sculptures and installations and good food and friendly faces everywhere. "Rising" rules.

Otaru. The larger version. I like the weird highlighting on the mother otter's left eye. Makes her look quite, quite psychotic. And speaking of deranged...do you like my choice in wellies? All the coolest chaps are wearing chartreuse gumboots this year. I got them because it was threatening to piss down during the festival. It never did. But this means I got less wet and awesome footwear. A double plus.

Otaru. Now this is important. See up at the top? That's Otaru Beer, that is. That is the second best reason to go to Otaru. I got into as much of it as I could without jeopardizing my ability to make the ferry home afterwards. It is good shit. The restaurant does a damned nice soss too.