This week’s issue of Time Out New York is running 6 of my photos of Japanese manhole covers.

I first saw the manhole covers while working in Japan in 2002. They are a subtle example of design in the public interest, making something mundane and utilitarian into something beautiful and, in some cases, highlighting features and sites unique to the area. The folks at Time Out thought so, too. The photos run with the cover story on “how to make New York better by stealing the best ideas from other cities.”