Thousands help shift Hirosaki Castle's massive keep a few inches toward its original spot

A community effort in Aomori, Japan, saw roughly a thousand people, chosen through a lottery system, haul a cart carrying the 400-ton keep of Hirosaki Castle forward by 109 centimeters, inching it back toward its original location. The keep, designated a national historical treasure, was initially displaced in 2015 to allow repairs on its stone foundations. The current campaign aims to relocate the structure about 78 meters by the end of the year, with a target of moving it roughly five meters in total through a series of pulls involving 4,000 participants between Saturday and the following Sunday.

Participants are divided into groups that pull the cart with ropes, creating a collective effort to preserve the castle’s heritage. Among the volunteers, 16-year-old high-school student Mei Umetsu reflected on her previous involvement in the 2015 move and said she felt emotional to be part of the project again.