A team of nearly 2,000 volunteers used ropes, strength and coordination to shift a 360-tonne castle tower back into place after repairs.
Hirosaki Castle in Aomori prefecture dates to the 17th century, but the tower was built in 1810. It had to be shifted in 2015 to allow the stone wall behind it to be repaired after an earthquake. That work was completed in late 2024.
The original shift was made by moving the tower onto rollers that were hauled by ropes; the return to its original place was accomplished the same way.
