To the sound of loud, rhythmic chants, about 1,800 people gathered in northern Japan over the weekend to drag a huge castle tower. Together, they pulled the 360-tonne building more than two meters closer to its original resting place.
The structure is the main tower, or keep, of Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture. Workers had to move the castle off its base years ago to fix a stone wall damaged in a major earthquake. After workers put all 2,185 stones back in place by December 2024, it was time to return the castle home.
To move the historic building without breaking it, officials used an ancient Japanese technique called hikiya. Instead of taking the castle apart, workers put the structure on rails and rollers. Teams of 80 people pulled long 30-meter ropes to move the building bit by bit. On Saturday, they moved it 1.13 meters, and on Sunday, another 1.09 meters.
The event was extremely popular. About 8,000 people applied for the 1,800 volunteer spots. Participants came from all over Japan and several other countries. Motoharu Nakata, a 61-year-old participant who traveled from Hiroshima, also helped pull the castle 11 years ago when it was first moved away. He called the experience fantastic and deeply moving.
Human pulling will continue until the end of August to move the keep a total of five meters. After this symbolic community effort, heavy machines will move the remaining 73 meters by the end of the year. Built originally in 1611 and rebuilt in 1810, Hirosaki Castle is famous for its beautiful cherry blossom park. Full preservation work will begin soon, and the tower is expected to reopen to visitors in 2033.