About Japan from... manhole covers, Murakami pirate ships

An interesting part of Japanese history is depicted on this artistic manhole cover of Imabari, in the Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku Island. The vessels belonged to the Murakami clan (indicated by the kamon on the sails), a clan known as "the pirates of the Inland Sea".

For 400 years, from the end of the Heian period until the end of the Sengoku period, the Murakami controlled the area between Onomichi (Hiroshima Prefecture) and Imabari, on the sea as well as on the land. Their power suddenly disappeared after the edict issued by Toyotomi Hideyoshi that outlawed piracy and forced them to leave the area.