1,800 volunteers pull 360-tonne castle to its original place

Over 1,800 volunteers participated in manually relocating the 360-tonne keep of Hirosaki Castle in Japan to its original position, a process employing the ancient ‘hikiya’ method. This relocation was necessary to allow for repairs to a wall damaged by an earthquake, with the keep moved over two meters by hand over two days. The preservation efforts are extensive, and the castle keep is anticipated to reopen to the public in 2033.

• 1,800 volunteers manually hauled a 360-tonne section of Hirosaki Castle back to its original position in Japan.
• The relocation was necessary for repairs to a wall damaged by an earthquake.
• The ‘hikiya’ method, an ancient Japanese building-relocation technique, was used to preserve the castle’s structure.
• The castle keep, a nationally designated important cultural property, was moved over two meters by hand on specially constructed rails.
• The manual pulling will continue until August, with further movement by machinery planned until 2026.
• Preservation work on the castle is ongoing, with an expected reopening to visitors in 2033.
• Hirosaki Castle’s keep is one of only 12 remaining structures of its kind in Japan.
  https://uk.layer3.press/articles/f8ed4104-1c22-4686-8ae2-92833adb33a5