About 1,000 people in Japan joined forces on Sunday to help pull the roughly 400-ton keep of Hirosaki Castle back toward its original position, more than a decade after the historic structure was moved nearly 78 meters for repairs. Participants in Aomori Prefecture were divided into groups and used ropes to pull a cart carrying the castle keep, moving the massive structure 109 centimeters closer to its original location. The unusual public event is part of a major restoration project aimed at returning the keep to where it stood before its relocation in 2015. About 4,000 people are scheduled to participate in similar events, with the public effort expected to move the keep about 5 meters in total as the centuries-old castle begins its journey home.
1,000 people pull 400-ton castle keep toward its original position
The rope-pulling event took place at Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, on August 23, with about 1,000 people selected by lottery taking part. Participants were divided into groups and pulled ropes attached to a cart carrying the roughly 400-ton keep. Their combined effort moved the structure 109 centimeters toward its original position. The event is part of a series of public participation activities scheduled between August 22 and 30, with about 4,000 people expected to take part. Together, the events are intended to move the keep about 5 meters, allowing members of the public to play a direct role in the highly unusual restoration project. One participant, 16-year-old high school student Mei Umetsu, said she had also helped pull the keep 11 years earlier when it was moved away from its original site.
Why the castle keep was moved 78 meters in 2015
The keep was moved in 2015 because the stone walls supporting Hirosaki Castle needed extensive repairs. Rather than dismantling the historic structure itself, restoration teams moved the keep away from its original foundation so workers could safely work on the aging masonry underneath it. The keep was shifted approximately 77.6 meters, or about 78 meters, from its original position. The relocation allowed specialists to dismantle and rebuild the supporting stone wall while protecting the historic wooden keep. The current project is effectively reversing that earlier move, with the keep now being returned to the location it occupied before the repairs began.
How Japan repaired the castle’s historic stone walls
The restoration of Hirosaki Castle’s stone walls was a major undertaking involving thousands of individual stones. According to Hirosaki City, workers dismantled and documented 2,185 stones before rebuilding the wall. The stones were carefully recorded so they could be returned to their appropriate positions during reconstruction, helping preserve the historic character and construction methods of the castle. The stone-wall rebuilding was completed in December 2024, clearing an important stage of the restoration project and allowing preparations for the keep’s return to move forward. Further structural and seismic work is also planned to improve the stability of the castle and protect it for the future.
The 400-ton keep is slowly making its way home
The August rope-pulling event represents only a small part of the keep’s approximately 78-meter journey back to its original position. The public events are designed to move the structure around 5 meters in total, while the remaining distance will be covered through the broader restoration operation. Officials plan to have the keep returned to its original location by the end of 2026. The spectacle of people physically pulling such a massive historic structure has attracted attention because it combines traditional methods, modern engineering and community participation. The operation is carefully planned to ensure that the centuries-old keep can be moved without damaging the historic structure.
What happens to Hirosaki Castle after the move
The return of the keep will not mark the end of the restoration project. Additional preservation and seismic reinforcement work will continue after the structure reaches its original position. The keep is one of Japan’s 12 surviving original castle keeps and is the only surviving original keep in the Tohoku region, making its preservation particularly significant. The present three-story keep dates to 1810, after an earlier castle tower was destroyed by fire. Hirosaki Castle itself was originally constructed in 1611. The keep’s interior has been closed to visitors since November 2025 and is expected to remain closed for several years while further preservation work is carried out, meaning the remarkable return journey is only one stage in the long-term effort to protect the historic castle.
