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Japan Recruited 1,800 People to Pull a 396-Ton Castle Back into Place, and the Video Is Wild

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26.08.2026

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Japan Recruited 1,800 People to Pull a 396-Ton Castle Back into Place, and the Video Is Wild

Volunteers used ropes and a traditional building-moving technique to shift Hirosaki Castle after years of restoration work.

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In 2015, an ancient Japanese castle was moved to repair a vital stone wall. With that repair finally completed, it needed to be moved back, so Japan recruited 1,800 people to essentially play tug-of-war with a castle.

According to The Guardian, the mission required volunteers to haul the 396-ton keep of Hirosaki Castle six feet back into its original position using a series of ropes, wheels, and a traditional Japanese technique called hikiya, where entire buildings are........

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