In the fall as winter approaches here in the Minamiuonuma region of Niigata, residents are busy making preparations for the coming snow.
One of the important preparations is to build support structures around trees, shrubs, playground equipment, and basically anything that could be damaged by the heavy snowfall.
More than 60 centimeters (about two feet) of snow can fall in one day.
There can be as much as 3 meters (about 9 feet) of accumulated snow on the ground during the winter here in snow country.
Things can be damaged by the weight of all that snow. Protecting them is a must.
These support structures are made by hand. They are set up in the fall and are taken down in the spring.
Some of the support structures are very sturdy, constructed with metal pipes and wooden boards.
Other structures are sturdy, yet aesthetically pleasing, made with artistically positioned polls and ropes tied with intricate knots.
Come spring, these structures will be removed, welcoming in a flood of new green and beckoning the return of families to the parks and playgrounds.
