Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
After repairs to Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture, officials employed a technique known as hikiya to move the structure more than two metres
TL;DR
- About 1,800 people participated in moving the 360-tonne castle keep of Hirosaki Castle.
- The keep was moved using the traditional *hikiya* method, which involves placing buildings on rollers.
- The relocation is part of repairs to a wall damaged by an earthquake.
- Participants pulled the keep over two meters closer to its original position over a weekend.
- The project involved around 8,000 applications for the 1,800 available slots, indicating high public interest.
- The current keep structure dates back to 1810 and is one of 12 such structures remaining in Japan.
- The castle keep is expected to reopen to visitors in 2033 after preservation work is completed.