In the Japanese city of Hirosaki, the tower of an ancient castle is being returned to its historical place in an unusual way. To move the 360-ton structure, 1800 people took to the ropes. In two days, they managed to move it more than two meters. And this is just the beginning.
Hirosaki Castle is located in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan. It was built in the early 17th century as the residence of the Tsugaru clan. The original main tower burned down in 1627 when lightning struck a gunpowder storage. The current tower was built in 1810.
Today, it is one of only 12 historical castle towers remaining in Japan, and the only such structure in the northeastern Tohoku region. The castle is surrounded by a large park where thousands of cherry blossoms bloom in spring. It hosts one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom festivals, which attracts about two million visitors annually.
In 2015, the historic castle tower was moved to repair the earthquake-damaged stone wall on which it stood. The tower itself was not dismantled. Instead, as The Guardian writes, the Japanese used the traditional *hikiya* technique. It allows buildings to be moved without disassembling them. The structure is fully lifted, placed on special rollers or rails, and then gradually moved to the desired location.
For the first time, ordinary people were massively involved in the relocation. This was the first instance in a century of using such a technique to move a Japanese castle, and simultaneously the first such event involving citizens.
After this, a lengthy repair of the stone wall began. It was completed in December 2024: all 2185 stones were returned to their original places. Now it's time to return the tower itself.
About eight thousand people responded to the authorities' call for help—almost four times more than before. As a result, 1800 participants were selected for the event. Among the volunteers were not only residents of Hirosaki and other regions of Japan, but also foreigners from Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.
People worked in groups of 80. To rhythmic chants, they pulled 30-meter ropes attached to the 360-ton tower, which stands on rails.
On the first day, the building was moved 1.13 meters this way, and on the second day—another 1.09 meters. In total over the weekend, the tower moved 2.22 meters closer to its historical place.
Manual relocation will continue until the end of August. It is expected that about 4100 people will participate, who will collectively move the tower approximately five meters. The remaining distance—about 73 meters—will be covered by the tower with the help of machinery. It is planned to return it to its original location by the end of the year.
After this, the restoration of the structure itself will begin. The tower will be covered by construction structures, so tourists will not be able to enter inside for several more years. According to current plans, the castle will reopen to visitors in 2033.
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