Recently someone described me as having a fetish for manhole covers. Not sure if it's true and accurate, but I do find them a fascinating way to learn about places.
For anyone who truly has a fetish for them, Yuda Onsen in Yamaguchi Prefecture is the place to go. In this small town they have dozens and dozens of different designs.
This group of four all show Chuya Nakahara' hat. He was a local boy who made quite a name for himself as a poet during the Taisho period. He was influenced by Dadaism and later French Symbolism, and though not so well known outside Japan was known for his avant gardeism and bohemianism, though apparently he is most wull known for the hat he wore.
He died young at only 30 years of age. There is an excellent site in English on him here
The town has a small museum containing his manuscripts and other materials from his short life.
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