Nearly 1,800 volunteers hand-pull 360-tonne historic castle tower in Japan

In Aomori prefecture in northern Japan, roughly 1,800 people took part in an unusual community effort, chanting a traditional call as they used ropes to gradually haul the 360-tonne tower of Hirosaki Castle back toward its original location.

The tower was relocated some years ago so repairs could be made to castle walls damaged by an earthquake. Restoration of the wall, which involved resetting all 2,185 stones, was completed in December 2024, and work has now moved to the next stage: returning the tower itself to its historic position. To avoid damaging a nationally significant cultural monument, the structure was not dismantled. Instead, workers used the traditional Japanese hikiya technique, mounting the building on rails and rollers so it could be moved safely.

Overwhelming demand

Interest in joining the effort was enormous: around 8,000 people applied for the 1,800 available volunteer spots, according to Kensuke Hayasaka, head of Hirosaki's parks department. Participants included local residents, travelers from across Japan, and tourists from Southeast Asia, Europe and North America. Working in rotating groups of 80 and pulling 30-metre ropes, volunteers managed to move the tower just over two metres over the course of two days.

The hand-powered relocation will continue until the end of August, with about 4,100 people in total helping shift the tower by five metres, serving as a community bonding event. The remaining 73 metres will be covered using heavy machinery by the end of the year.

Hirosaki Castle was built in 1611 and is one of only 12 surviving structures of its kind in Japan. Full restoration will still take time — once the tower reaches its foundation, the tower itself will undergo restoration, with the site not expected to reopen to visitors until 2033.