Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
Summary
About 1,800 people in northern Japan pulled a 360-ton castle tower a few meters using ropes and rollers to move it back to its original place. This effort is part of work to fix earthquake damage and preserve the historic Hirosaki Castle keep without taking it apart.Key Facts
- The castle keep weighs 360 tonnes and was moved about 2.22 meters over two days by teams of people pulling ropes.
- About 1,800 participants were chosen from 8,000 applicants from Japan and other countries to help move the keep.
- The keep was placed on rails and moved using an old Japanese method called hikiya, which rolls buildings instead of dismantling them.
- The wall that needed repair was finished in December 2024, with all stones returned to their original spots.
- The keep is a nationally important cultural property and the only castle keep left in Japan’s northeast Tohoku region.
- This building move is scheduled to continue with more people pulling by hand until August, covering about 5 meters total.
- Machines will complete the rest of the roughly 73-meter move, expected to finish by the end of the year.
- The castle, originally built in 1611 and rebuilt in 1810 after a fire, draws about 2 million visitors annually during cherry blossom season, but will be closed for years during renovation.
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