About 1,800 volunteers and citizens manually pulled the 360-tonne keep of Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture, Japan [1, 2].
The effort allows workers to repair stone walls damaged by earthquakes while serving as a symbolic community project [2, 3].
Participants utilized the traditional hikiya technique, a manual method of moving heavy objects using ropes and human power [1, 2]. The operation moved the massive structure two metres [2], though some reports indicate it moved more than two metres [2].
The project aims to move the keep a total distance of five metres [2]. While 1,800 people were involved in the initial pulling, officials said around 4,100 total participants are expected to contribute to the full operation [2].
Hirosaki Castle is a significant historic site in the Aomori Prefecture [2, 3]. The relocation is necessary because the stability of the underlying stone walls was compromised, creating a need for structural intervention that could not be performed while the keep remained in its original position [2, 3].
The pulling operation continued until the end of August 2024 [2]. By relying on community volunteers rather than heavy machinery for the primary movement, the project emphasizes cultural heritage and collective effort over industrial speed [1, 2].
“1,800 volunteers and citizens manually pulled the 360-tonne keep”
The use of the hikiya method for a modern restoration project demonstrates a commitment to intangible cultural heritage. By choosing a labor-intensive, traditional process over mechanical alternatives, the project transforms a technical necessity—earthquake repair—into a community-building event that preserves ancient Japanese engineering skills.
