Hundreds of volunteers pull 360-tonne historic Japanese castle back into place by hand
Japan enlisted the help of hundreds of volunteers to move a portion of a 360-tonne castle more than six feet back into position, inch by inch, following renovations to the structure.
About 1,800 people gathered over the weekend to pull large ropes attached to the Hirosaki Castle keep in Aomori Prefecture, The Independent reported.
The keep — which is a fortified tower within a castle — was moved so repairs could be completed on a wall damaged during a major earthquake. The wall has since been rebuilt, with all 2,185 stones returned to their original positions.
Rotating teams used an ancient technique known as hikiya, in which buildings are placed on rollers or rails and moved intact. The technique is used to preserve historic Japanese buildings that might otherwise be damaged or destroyed.
"We had about 8,000 applications for the 1,800 slots over the last two days, roughly four times oversubscribed, so not everyone could participate," Kensuke Hayasaka, head of the parks and green spaces division in Hirosaki City, told The Guardian.
"Not only from the city, but from across Japan and overseas; a fair number from Southeast Asia, Europe and North America."
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Pulling the castle keep by hand will continue through the end of August, with about 4,100 people scheduled to move it a total of more than 16 feet, The Guardian reported.
The Hirosaki Castle keep was originally a five-story tower, but it was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1627, the newspaper reported, citing the Japan National Tourism Organization.
The current three-story structure was rebuilt in 1811. Many Japanese castles were dismantled after the end of the Samurai era in 1868 or were destroyed during World War II.