https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-enlists-1-800-people-to-drag-a-360-tonne-castle-keep-using-ropes-and-rollersContinuously updated, source-cited coverage. https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-enlists-1-800-people-to-drag-a-360-tonne-castle-keep-using-ropes-and-rollershttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-enlists-1-800-people-to-drag-a-360-tonne-castle-keep-using-ropes-and-rollers#u50083Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:51:19 +0000About 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 mattersThe relocation follows repairs to a damaged wall. Moving the keep without dismantling it preserves the stru https://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-enlists-1-800-people-to-drag-a-360-tonne-castle-keep-using-ropes-and-rollershttps://www.live-feeds.com/feed/japan-enlists-1-800-people-to-drag-a-360-tonne-castle-keep-using-ropes-and-rollers#u49264Wed, 26 Aug 2026 13:05:36 +0000Around 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 mattersThe keep is a nationally designated impo