History in motion: 1,800 people pulled an ancient castle weighing 360 tons

In Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan, an extraordinary scene took place over the weekend: about 1,800 volunteers mobilized to move the historic watchtower of Hirosaki Castle, a three-story structure weighing about 360 tons.

Volunteers divided into groups, grabbed giant ropes about 30 meters long, and gradually pulled the structure. Within two days, they managed to move it more than two meters — 1.13 meters on Saturday and 1.09 meters on Sunday.

The operation was carried out using a traditional Japanese method known as "Hikiya," in which entire buildings are placed on rollers or rails and moved from their location without being dismantled.

The watchtower of Hirosaki Castle was rebuilt in 1811, after the original structure, built in 1611, was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1627. In 2015, the tower was moved from its place to allow for comprehensive restoration work on the stone wall on which it stands, after it had been damaged by an earthquake.

Now, after all 2,185 stones that make up the wall have been returned to their original places, the operation to return the tower to its historical location has begun.

Public interest in the move was enormous: about 8,000 people applied to participate in the pulling, but only 1,800 were selected for the current stage. Among the volunteers were residents from Japan alongside participants from countries in Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America.

By the end of August, about 4,100 people are expected to participate in the move, which will manually shift the tower a total distance of about five meters. The rest of the way, about 73 meters, will be completed by specialized machines until the structure is placed in its final location.

Hirosaki Castle is considered an important historical site in Japan, and its watchtower is one of only 12 historical towers of its kind that have survived in the country.