Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers

The Guardian World Tuesday 25 August 2026, 01:10 UTC By Gavin Blair in Tokyo 1 min read

Key Points

After repairs to Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture, officials employed a technique known as hikiya to move the structure more than two metresTo chants of “so-re, so-re”, about 1,800 people came together in northern Japan over the weekend to pull a 360-tonne castle keep a little more than two metres closer to its original resting place as part of ongoing renovations. The keep – a fortified tower within a castle – had to be moved to repair a wall that was damaged in a major earthquake.

After repairs to Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture, officials employed a technique known as hikiya to move the structure more than two metres

To chants of “so-re, so-re”, about 1,800 people came together in northern Japan over the weekend to pull a 360-tonne castle keep a little more than two metres closer to its original resting place as part of ongoing renovations.

The keep – a fortified tower within a castle – had to be moved to repair a wall that was damaged in a major earthquake.

Japan (LOCATION) Hirosaki Castle (LOCATION) Aomori (LOCATION)

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Japan enlists 1,800 people to drag a 360-tonne castle keep using ropes and rollers

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