"Cannot Be Dismantled as a Cultural Property"...1,800 People Pulled 360t Japanese Castle by Hand

Hirosaki Castle Keep Pulled by 1,800 People
Traditional Method Used... 5 More Meters to Go by Hand

An incident involving 1,800 people pulling a Japanese castle, weighing over 300 tons, by hand has become the subject of much attention. The castle, a historic landmark in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, was moved using a traditional method that relies solely on human labor.

According to the Guardian on August 25 (local time), Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture relocated the Hirosaki Castle Keep to its original location over the course of August 22 and 23.

The scene of moving Cheonsugak by manpower. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

The Hirosaki Castle Keep is one of 12 remaining keeps preserved in Japan and is regarded as one of the country’s representative historical structures. The building originally had five stories but was reduced to three following destruction by lightning. It weighs approximately 360 tons.

The keep was temporarily relocated from its original site in 2015 to allow for repairs on the supporting stone wall foundation. At the time, the project was dubbed the “project of the century” in Japan due to its massive scale. While the restoration was initially planned for completion in 2023, additional vulnerabilities were discovered during repairs, which extended the construction period, finally concluding this year.

This latest move involved returning the keep, which had been relocated outside the stone wall, to its original position. Instead of using heavy machinery to tow or dismantle and reassemble the keep—modern techniques—the organizers utilized a traditional practice called “Hikiya,” in which people physically pull the structure with ropes.

According to media reports, the recruited participants formed teams of around 80 people each, gripping 30-meter-long ropes to pull the keep. Positioned on rails, the keep was moved 1.13 meters on August 22 and 1.09 meters on August 23, totaling 2.22 meters over the two days.

Kensuke Hayasaka, Director of the Parks and Green Spaces Department of Hirosaki City, stated, “About 8,000 applications were received, four times the number of available spots, leading to fierce competition.” He added, “Applicants came not only from all over Japan but also from overseas.”

The reason for sticking with the traditional method is that the keep is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan and thus cannot be dismantled. “This is why we used Hikiya, a traditional Japanese method of moving buildings that has been handed down since ancient times,” he explained.

The work will continue until the end of August. The keep is expected to be moved an additional 5 meters by manpower, after which the remaining 70 meters will be handled using machinery to complete the process.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.