Yearly Archive 2016

ByJustin Hanus

Sep 27, 2016

The Wisdom of Ancient Stones – Tsunami Stones

Japan is a most beguiling land of ancient wisdom and modern technology. The two beliefs often mingle and sometimes conflict. One place where ancient culture and a present grounded in science have rubbed against each other is the tsunami stones that are seen in many coastal locations of the island nation.

Japan has always been at danger from earthquakes that unleash deadly tsunami waves onto heavily populated shores. Going back as far as six centuries, residents have erected flat stones, some as high as ten feet, with instruction for future generations what to do in the event of an impending tsunami.

Words of wisdom for those prudent enough to listen

Many of the stones are inscribed with common sense instructions on what to do when disaster strikes, such as seek out higher ground than the marker. Others offer specific lessons passed across generations of ancestors who survived the deadly onslaught of ocean waves. In the town of Aneyoshi, for instance, a stone tablet is located over a kilometer from the sea and yet warns: “High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants. Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. Do not build any homes below this point.”

The stone was first installed after a tsunami in 1896 only to see the village destroyed by a wall of water in 1933. The stone was then moved to its current location. In the most recent deadly tsunami on March 11, 2011, the water in fact reached all the way to within 100 metres of the stone. But since villagers had heeded the warning, none of the residents’ homes were destroyed.

The consequences of hubris

On the other hand, a modern Japan confident of the powers of its engineers has often scoffed at the silent messages from the stone sentinels on the hillsides. Surely concrete seawalls, cutting edge technology and orchestrated evacuation routes can keep the shoreline safe unlike in ancient times, the thinking goes. Sometimes that works and sometimes the luck runs out. The 2011 tsunami in northeastern Japan left 29,000 people dead or missing and a nuclear plant in meltdown. Even years later, almost a quarter-million people were still living in temporary housing.

Tsunami stones are not foolproof. Some are washed away by more powerful waves than experienced in the past. But many more are reminders of earthquake-triggered waves that reached five kilometres inland, such as a tsunami in 1611. Even as Japanese citizens go about their busy lives, the tsunami stones are permanent memory joggers that the waves have engulfed the shores before and they will surely do so again some day – and with even higher water.

Tsunami stones are not only the work of the ancients with words eroded away. Even believers in the importance of tsunami stones have been influenced by modern times. Instead of simple stone tablets some believe it is best to leave ravaged structures and destroyed infrastructure in place as memorials. Perhaps utilize more contemporary systems appropriate for the internet age. Or just pay attention to the warnings that have been in place for centuries.

By T.KISHIMOTO (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

ByJustin Hanus

Sep 27, 2016

The Art Beneath Our Feet

Travel to France and you might well come home with an extensive photographic collection of stained glass cathedral art. Travel to Japan and you might well return with an extensive photographic collection of manhole cover art. What’s that you say?

A municipal sewage system might not seem like the most appealing canvas for artists but the enthusiasm for “drainspotting” is so rampant in Japan that there is even a Japanese Society of Manhole Covers. The website (Japanese only) lists descriptions of thousands of manhole covers across the nation.

Let’s start at the beginning

Archeologists tell us that Japan began installing sewer systems about 2,200 years ago. Early engineers became so adept at the business that the Taiko Sewerage, a stone culvert at Osaka Castle built in 1583, is still operating today. Still, in the mountainous terrain it was slow going and expensive to build sewage systems and by the 1950s barely 60 percent of the population was tied in to a municipal sewer system.

It was a bureaucrat in the Ministry of Construction in the 1980s named Yasutake Kameda who had the idea to draw MORE attention to the unpleasant substructure beneath our feet by encouraging Japanese towns to design regionally significant manhole covers as a point of civic pride. The country bought in – literally, since the art-infused manhole covers cost 5 percent more than traditional unadorned covers – and about 95 percent of Japan’s 1,780 municipalities now boast their own signature manhole lids. Kyoto, for instance, adopted the turtle as a symbol of wisdom and longevity.

A real work of art

Creating art from manholes requires quite a bit of planning. For one thing, the heavy iron Japanese manhole cover is a work of art in itself. It must be designed for maximum traction so as not to send pedestrians and bicyclists flying off its slick surface when wet. To eliminate noise pollution from ill-fitting covers Japanese manhole lids feature a snug tapered fit. These engineering marvels beneath our feet also have safety features to prevent being blown off by increased pressure during heavy storms.

Most countries adopt manhole covers with simple geometric designs. That is just the jumping off point for Japanese covers. The artwork must take into account that it will be viewed from every direction and also must be a timeless design since the iron lids last for decades and are not swapped out by the whim of a curator.

Botanical designs seem to be the most popular – trees and flowers are said to make up half of the designs you will encounter on Japanese streets. Animals are popular and so are nature scenes. Local landmarks, such as the Osaka Castle, are also depicted on the manholes.

Not every manhole in Japan is a work of art – far from it. There are some 120 million manholes covering storm drains, telephone lines, supply pipes and the like across the country and only an estimated 6,000 that have been turned into eye-catching art. But that is more than enough brilliantly colored covers to spawn websites, fan clubs and even a few books on Japanese “drainspotting.”

Imaeg by ja:User:Sanjo (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons