Japan’s Hirosaki Castle keep is being moved back toward its original location as part of ongoing restoration work. Reports say about 1,800 people pull the structure by hand using ropes and a traditional relocation method, while it sits on rollers.
The keep was originally moved in 2015 to allow repairs to an earthquake-damaged stone wall. With those repairs completed, officials use the hikiya technique, which allows buildings to be transported without dismantling them, to shift the keep roughly a couple of metres closer to where it stood before. Participants are said to be selected through a lottery system, and movement is expected to continue over a period extending toward the end of August.
Outlets largely agree on the scale of the crowd and the purpose of the operation, though some describe slightly different weights or totals of participants so far. While most sources cite around 360 tonnes, at least one outlet references a figure closer to 396 tonnes. Another outlet also notes estimates that participation may total several thousand when including additional people, including visitors. The operation is presented as a coordinated, supervised effort by local authorities rather than an impromptu event.
