1,800 Volunteers Hand-Pull a 400-Ton Japanese Castle Keep Toward Home

A roughly 400-ton castle keep in northern Japan has taken another small step toward its original location—with help from 1,800 members of the public pulling ropes by hand. The volunteer effort took place at Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture, where restoration work has been underway since 2015. The keep was first moved about 256 feet that year so workers could repair a damaged stone wall and carry out archaeological investigations. Those investigations found remnants of older walls, a well and drainage structures. The need for repairs became especially pressing after an earthquake damaged one of the castle’s stone walls in 1983. Rather than dismantling the keep, specialists used the traditional hikiya method, placing the structure on rollers so it could be shifted as a single unit. With part of the wall work complete, machinery and manual labor were used to begin moving the keep back. Groups of about 80 people took turns pulling on ropes nearly 100 feet long during short sessions. According to Smithsonian Magazine’s account, the keep moved roughly four feet on August 22 and another 3.5 feet the following day. The public participation was highly competitive. Kensuke Hayasaka of Hirosaki City’s parks and green spaces division told the Guardian that about 8,000 applications were submitted for 1,800 available places. Applicants came from Japan and from overseas, including Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. Some volunteers had also taken part in the 2015 move. The hand-pulling events are only part of the larger operation. About 4,000 people are expected to participate during the month, helping move the keep a total of 16 feet before machines handle the remaining 240 feet. Hirosaki Castle was completed in 1611. Its original five-story keep burned after a lightning strike in 1627, and construction of the present three-story keep began in 1810. It is one of Japan’s 12 surviving feudal-era castle towers and the only one remaining in the Tōhoku region. Even after the keep reaches its original base later this year, visitors will not immediately be allowed inside. Preservation work will continue with the structure covered over, and the castle is currently expected to reopen in 2033.