Hundreds of volunteers in Japan have been pulling thick ropes for several days to move a tower weighing about 400 tons from Hirosaki Castle, located in Aomori Prefecture, in order to return it to its original location after a decade of restoration work.
"Thanks to the participation of so many people, the main tower, which weighs approximately 400 tons, has been moved 364 centimeters over a period of five days between Saturday, August 22, and Wednesday, August 26," the city of Hirosaki noted this Wednesday on its social media.
The tower was moved for the first time in 2015 to repair the stone walls on which it stood, due to the risk of collapse. Throughout this year, the structure will advance a total of 78 meters to be back in its original place.
The plan foresees that 4,000 volunteers will participate in moving the first five meters solely with physical strength, using the traditional technique called hikiya, which consists of pulling large ropes and sliding the construction on rails, before heavy machinery completes the rest of the journey.
This 17th-century castle is known both for its feudal architecture and for being one of the most emblematic sites of cherry blossom blooming in northern Honshu. Of the hundreds of castles that existed in Japan, only 12 still retain their main tower today.