Preventing Avalanches

For quite understandable reasons, avalanche prevention barriers are a common sight in Hokkaido. Though they must look singularly ugly in non-snow seasons, I found them oddly fascinating.

I think this was near a dam close to Sapporo.

In Otaru, avalanche barriers that look like foxholes.

Their geometric shapes look almost arresting against the snow.

When I was trying to figure out the exact term for these avalanche barriers, I came across this page. Everything you wanted to know about snow protection techniques, with key words in three different languages!