hard-to-overcome obstacle; high hurdle
Idiomatic expression likening a difficult barrier to a thick wall. Often used for social, institutional, or psychological obstacles.
女性の社会進出にはまだ厚い壁がある。
There are still high hurdles for women's advancement in society.
言葉の厚い壁が異文化理解を難しくして
The thick wall of language makes cross-cultural understanding difficult.
Compound of 厚い (thick) and 壁 (wall). The literal meaning 'thick wall' is extended metaphorically to refer to a formidable obstacle.