Hello everyone,
I would like to ask for clarification regarding the eligibility of this nomination under the current Wayfarer criteria.
My nomination was rejected, and the appeal was also denied with the following explanation:
“The nomination in question is a commonly found manhole which does not meet the Wayfarer criteria.”
However, I believe this nomination may have been mistaken for a standard utility manhole cover.
This is not a standard plain manhole cover. It is a decorative manhole cover created as part of Sakai City’s 100th Anniversary Commemoration Project (1989). The design features Sakai City’s official bird (Shrike), official flowering tree (Azalea), official flower (Japanese Iris), and the city emblem. These symbols were selected through a public vote by the city’s residents.
The Sakai City Waterworks and Sewerage Bureau officially introduces this as one of the city’s commemorative decorative manhole covers:
The nomination is permanently installed on a public residential street and is safely accessible to pedestrians.
Below is the original Japanese title, description, and supporting information exactly as submitted with the nomination.
My Question
Under the current Wayfarer criteria, should this officially recognized commemorative decorative manhole cover be treated as an ordinary utility manhole cover, or should it be evaluated as a decorative manhole that represents the local history and culture?
I am not asking for this specific nomination to be overturned. I would simply like to understand how this type of officially recognized commemorative decorative manhole cover should be evaluated under the current Wayfarer criteria.
I would greatly appreciate any clarification. Thank you very much.
This appears to be in a roadway and would be ineligible for not having safe pedestrian access.
Tenpo1117さん、こんにちは。
提示された堺市上下水道局のウェブサイトに、「現在、堺市で一般に使用されている蓋です。」と明記されています。この公式情報がある以上、審査では大量生産された一般的な、ありふれた対象物と判断せざるを得ません。
堺市であれば、設置枚数や場所が限定されているアルフォンス・ミュシャのデザインマンホールなどが、Wayfarerの適格性を満たす候補になると考えられます。
Thank you for your comment.
The manhole cover is not located in the middle of the roadway. It is installed near the edge of a low-traffic residential dead-end street, where pedestrians can legally and safely approach it.
In Japan, decorative manhole covers are commonly installed within public roads rather than on sidewalks. I included supporting photos to show the surrounding environment and pedestrian access, but I understand that the location may appear to be in the roadway from the photos alone.
If the photos were misleading, I appreciate the feedback and will try to provide clearer supporting photos in the future.
The manhole cover is in the road. It is not on a pedestrian sidewalk. It doesn’t matter how you photograph it, you can’t actually move the manhole.
Decorative manhole covers installed within public roads will not be eligible anywhere.
Safe pedestrian access near to the manhole is not relevant. Being able to stand and safely spin a pokestop from 20m away is not relevant. It is the actual location of the POI that matters.
It would have to be a NO-traffic street that has been blocked off from vehicles to be eligible.
https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/acceptance
Hello, welcome to the forum.
Even in the Street View screenshot you attached, passenger cars are parked at both of the houses in the back. Therefore, vehicles will inevitably pass over the location of that manhole. This includes not only the residents’ cars but also mail and delivery vehicles. Thus, the assessment that it is an unsafe location is correct.
Next, regarding the design of the manhole, I believe you have explained in great detail that it is excellent. However, a Wayspot is strictly a “place,” not an object or a design itself. Is that location truly a place meant for appreciating a manhole design? Please give that point some careful thought.
34.586319,135.499999
I am very sorry for bringing up something completely unrelated to the topic.
I found a wisteria trellis with a bench underneath at the location shown above. If you like it, it might be worth submitting as a nomination. Fortunately, someone has posted a Street View of the newly constructed cycling path along the Yamato River, so it should be easy to verify its existence.
