More than 1,800 Japanese and international tourists joined forces using ropes and rollers to pull the 360-ton Hirosaki Castle back to its original spot on the stone wall, preserving this important historical site in Aomori Prefecture by employing the traditional Japanese technique called "Hikiya." Tags: [Hirosaki Castle, cultural preservation, traditional techniques, Aomori Prefecture, Japan]
Around 1,800 people gathered last week to help pull the main tower of Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture, weighing about 360 tons, moving it more than 2 meters closer to its original position amid unified shouts of "Sore Sore," meaning to exert effort together.Tags: [community participation, Hirosaki Castle, traditional technique, Japan, restoration]
This relocation is part of a castle restoration project requiring the building to be shifted from its base to repair stone walls damaged by a major earthquake. Officials employed the ancient Japanese "Hikiya" method, which involves placing the structure on rollers or tracks and pulling it as a whole without dismantling it.Tags: [earthquake damage, restoration project, Hikiya technique, structural preservation, Japan]
Participants were divided into teams of 80, taking turns pulling 30-meter-long ropes. On the first day, the castle tower was moved 1.13 meters, and on the second day another 1.09 meters, totaling 2.22 meters.Tags: [volunteer teams, manual relocation, Hirosaki Castle, rope pulling, restoration progress]
Kensuke Hayasaka, head of Hirosaki’s Parks and Green Spaces Department, revealed that about 8,000 people applied to join over the two days—four times more than the number accepted. Applicants came not only from Hirosaki city but also from across Japan, Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.Tags: [public participation, international interest, Hirosaki city, restoration project, community engagement]
Because the castle tower is registered as an important cultural property of Japan, officials chose the Hikiya method to preserve its original structure. Hirosaki city previously allowed public involvement in a similar move in 2015, marking the first time in about 100 years this technique was used for castle relocation and the first direct public role in the Hikiya process.Tags: [cultural heritage, Hikiya technique, public involvement, historic preservation, Hirosaki Castle]
The stone wall repairs were completed in December 2024, with all 2,185 stones returned to their original positions. This year, authorities again sought public cooperation to help pull the castle tower back onto its base.Tags: [stone wall restoration, community cooperation, Hirosaki Castle, cultural preservation, repair completion]
The manual pulling activity will continue through the end of August, expecting about 4,100 participants in total and aiming to move the tower 5 meters. The remaining approximately 73 meters will be completed using machinery by the end of the year.Tags: [restoration schedule, volunteer effort, machinery use, Hirosaki Castle, cultural heritage]
Hirosaki Castle tower is one of only 12 original castle towers remaining in Japan and the only one in the Tohoku region in the country’s northeast. It was completed in 1611 and formerly served as the center of the Tsugaru family.Tags: [Hirosaki Castle, historical significance, Tohoku region, Japanese castles, Tsugaru family]
The original tower was struck by lightning causing a fire and gunpowder magazine explosion in 1627 before the current tower was rebuilt in 1810. Today, Hirosaki Castle is a highlight of a famous park known for cherry blossoms, attracting about 2 million visitors each year during the bloom season.Tags: [historical events, reconstruction, cherry blossoms, tourism, Hirosaki Castle]
However, due to the major restoration, the castle tower will remain closed to visitors for several years. After being returned to its base, officials will begin preservation work and cover the entire structure, with plans to reopen to tourists in 2033.Tags: [restoration closure, preservation work, reopening plan, Hirosaki Castle, cultural heritage]
.Tags: []GuardianTags: [source, news source]