Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
About 1,800 volunteers moved the 360-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep in Aomori prefecture using ropes and rollers. The group employed hikiya, an ancient Japanese relocation technique, to shift the structure more than two metres over a single weekend. Teams of 80 people took turns pulling 30-metre ropes to the rhythm of "so-re, so-re" chants. While the manual effort moved the keep a short distance, machines will complete the remaining 73 metres of the relocation process.
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- ✓ About 1,800 volunteers moved the 360-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep.
- ✓ The move utilized hikiya, an ancient Japanese building-relocation method.
- ✓ The structure was moved more than two metres over a single weekend.
- ✓ Machines will cover the remaining 73 metres of the relocation.
What changed
New reports confirm the use of traditional chants during the relocation and that thousands more people applied to help.
Live updates
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1,800 volunteers use ancient hikiya method to move 360-tonne castle keep
About 1,800 volunteers moved the 360-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep in Aomori prefecture using ropes and rollers. The group employed hikiya, an ancient Japanese relocation technique, to shift the structure more than two metres over a single weekend. Teams of 80 people took turns pulling 30-metre ropes to the rhythm of "so-re, so-re" chants. While the manual effort moved the keep a short distance, machines will complete the remaining 73 metres of the relocation process.
Why it matters
The relocation follows repairs to a damaged wall. Moving the keep without dismantling it preserves the structural integrity of the historic site.
What is confirmed
- About 1,800 volunteers moved the 360-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep.
- The move utilized hikiya, an ancient Japanese building-relocation method.
- The structure was moved more than two metres over a single weekend.
- Machines will cover the remaining 73 metres of the relocation.
- Teams of roughly 80 people pulled 30-metre ropes.
Still unconfirmed
- Thousands more people applied to help move the castle.
- Volunteers used chants of "so-re, so-re" during the pull.
What to watch next
- Completion of the final 73-metre move by machinery
- Official confirmation of the total number of applicants for the volunteer effort
confidence 95%Sources used for this update (7)
- The Telegraph — Japanese castle weighing 360 tons dragged by hand
- Yahoo — With ropes and chants, thousands move Japanese castle
- The Times — How many people does it take to pull a 360-tonne Japanese castle?
- Fox News — Hundreds of volunteers pull 360-tonne historic Japanese castle back into place by hand
- People.com — Nearly 2,000 People Gathered to Help Move Historic Castle with Ropes and Official Says Thousands More Applied
- en.ammonnews.net — Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
- www.yahoo.com — Hundreds of volunteers pull 360-tonne historic Japanese castle back into place by hand
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1,800 volunteers drag Hirosaki Castle keep using ancient hikiya technique
Around 1,800 volunteers used ropes and rollers to move the Hirosaki Castle keep more than two metres in Aomori prefecture over a single weekend. The effort utilized hikiya, an ancient Japanese building-relocation method, to return the structure closer to its original position after repairs to a damaged wall. Teams of roughly 80 people took turns pulling 30-metre ropes to shift the massive keep without dismantling it. While volunteers moved the structure a short distance, machines will cover the remaining 73 metres of the relocation process.
Why it matters
The keep is a nationally designated important cultural property that was damaged in an earthquake. Restoration work has been ongoing since 2015, including a previous effort 11 years ago to move the tower to allow wall repairs.
What is confirmed
- Approximately 1,800 people were enlisted to move the castle keep using ropes and rollers.
- The structure is located at Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture.
- The relocation used a traditional technique known as hikiya.
- The keep was moved more than two metres over a weekend.
- Hirosaki City parks boss Kensuke Hayasaka stated that 8,000 people applied for the 1,800 available slots.
- The project is part of restoration work that began in 2015.
Still unconfirmed
- The castle keep weighs 396 tons.
- The keep weighs 360 tonnes.
- The keep weighs 400 tons.
- Emperor Naruhito's aunt attended the restoration ceremony.
What to watch next
- Completion of the remaining 73 metres of movement via machinery.
- Final confirmation of the castle keep's return to its original position.
confidence 80%Sources used for this update (12)
- The Guardian — Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
- Town & Country Magazine — Emperor Naruhito’s Aunt Attends the Restoration Ceremony for a Historic Japanese Castle
- WKRC — 1,000 people play tug-of-war to help move 400-year-old castle
- Japan Today — 1,000 help tow 400-ton castle keep closer to original position
- ua.news — In Japan, about 1,800 people moved a 360-ton castle tower
- Inshorts — 1,800 people pull 4-lakh-kg Japanese castle using ropes to move it 2 metres | Machines will cover the remaining 73 metres | Inshorts
- www.theguardian.com — Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers
- www.lbc.co.uk — Japan enlists 1,800 people to move 360-tonne castle tower by hand
- mjengohub.co.ke — Japan Enlists 1,800 Volunteers to Drag 360-Tonne Castle With Ropes
- www.thedailybeast.com — 1,800 People Use Ropes to Relocate a Castle by Hand
- uk.news.yahoo.com — Aussie island with campsite and two private beaches for sale for less than a Sydney home
- www.yahoo.com — Japanese castle weighing 360 tons dragged by hand
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