Japan: 1,800 People Pull 360-Tonne Hirosaki Castle Keep by Hand
About 1,800 volunteers pulled the 400-ton keep using ropes, and officials said the castle is expected to reopen in 2033 after preservation work.
- More than a thousand people gathered in Aomori Prefecture to pull Japan's historic Hirosaki Castle back to its original site, marking the final stage of a decade-long project to preserve the 400-year-old structure.
- Known as "hikiya," this human-powered operation is a traditional technique for moving structures that has existed in Japan since ancient times, and officials say manually moving the castle honours the craftsmanship of its original builders.
- Japanese officials estimate around 4,000 people have participated in moving the tower, with groups of about 80 taking turns. "It's like trying to move a mountain," Hirosaki resident Takahiro Kogawa told AFP.
- The municipality will deploy heavy machinery in September to complete the journey after the human-powered phase advances the structure by nearly five metres, with full reopening of this Edo period masterpiece scheduled for 2033.
- Supporters wearing T-shirts reading "The Return of Hirosaki Castle 2026" celebrated the tower being securely fixed before winter, as Hayasaka noted the team wanted everyone to "experience history physically.
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In Japan, 1800 volunteers approached – and moved a historic castle tower with bare hands and ropes.
1,800 Volunteers Pull a 400-Ton Japanese Castle Keep Back Toward Its Original Location After a Decade of Restoration Work
The chance to help move the castle keep drew thousands of applications from Japan and abroad. Groups of lottery winners took turns tugging on thick ropes attached to the massive structure
In Japan, 4,000 volunteers are currently moving the Hirosaki Castle after restoration work. The operation is based on a secular Japanese technique called "hikiya". A team of TF1 explains to you. - "Truly impressive": thanks to the technique of "hikiya", the Japanese move a castle... to the strength of the arms (International).
They are thousands to pull from all their forces on huge ropes to advance... a castle. In Japan, almost 4,000 people take turns to move a few centimetres at a time.
The tower of the fortress was displaced in 2015 due to the works of repair of its walls
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