PWRI Web Magazine Editorial Staff
P.R. Managerial Meeting
<Tsukuba>
General Manager: Dr.Kazunori Wada Representative managers: Mr.Tomio Akita, Mr. Yukio Kobayashi, Mr.Toshio Yarimizo, Mr.Masuo Kondo, Mr.Minoru Kikuchi, Mr.Makoto Kimura Managers: Mr. Takahiro Kato, Mr.Mitsuhiro Sanadda, Mr.Satoshi Ogata, Ms.Yukiko Inagaki, Mr.Hiroyuki Nitta, Mr.Masanori Mizuhashi, Mr.Keigo Nakamura, Mr.Masanori Hukushima, Mr.Koji Ishida, Mr.Masaru Terada, Mr.Naoki Yanatori, Mr.Norimichi Takenori
<CERI>
Mr.Junichi Nishikawa, Mr.Wataru Takahashi Representative managers: Mr. Syuuichi Ota, Mr.Toshihiro Nakamori, Managers: Mr.Takaharu Sasaki, Mr.Takayuki Sawada, Ms.Junko Abe, Ms.Sayaka Okazaki

Editor's Note
Two months have already passed since the beginning of 2008 and cold weather has arrived. How are you all doing? This year, snow has fallen several times here in Tsukuba City in Ibaraki Prefecture, where I now work. If my memory is accurate, I don’t think snow fell once last year. This year, snow has fallen several times in the Tokyo Region including Tsukuba City. This has caused problems including delays in the operation of public transportation systems.

This time, we have inserted an article on snow avalanches. As I investigated the matter to edit this article, I was reminded of the frightening character of snow avalanches. They are probably a severe and inescapable problem for everyone living among mountains in snowy regions of the country.

Speaking of “snow”, it also poses a great danger to the operation of automobiles in snowy cold regions; poor visibility caused by blowing snow, sliding near intersections and on ice burn for example. A momentary lack of concentration on a snow-covered road can cause an accident.

The Snow Avalanche and Landslide Research Center, a division of the PWRI located in Myoko City in Niigata Prefecture, performs research on snow avalanches, while the Civil Engineering Research Institute for Cold Region located in Sapporo City, Hokkaido, conducts research on cold regions. We distribute a variety of information about snow by holding seminars on snow avalanches and through our Hokkaido road information web site, Kita no Michi Navi, which means, Northern Road Navigator. Please make full use of these services.

Snow has a romantic side, but we never know when it will bare its fangs. We beg skiers and snow-boarders to stay out of prohibited regions.

(Takahiro Kato)