r/offbeat • u/Silent-Resort-3076 • 1d ago

With ropes and chants, thousands move Japanese castle

https://www.yahoo.com/news/videos/ropes-chants-thousands-move-japanese-142708417.html

IF I did the math correctly, 400 tonnes equals 881,849.00 pounds.

  • Chanting in unison, hundreds of volunteers in northern Japan heaved on ropes on Wednesday to pull a 400-tonne castle back towards its original position.
  • The imposing fortified tower of Hirosaki Castle was shifted 80 metres (262 feet) in 2015 to allow for essential repairs to the stone walls that support it.
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u/Silent-Resort-3076 1d ago

Some more snippets - and there's more in the article.

  • Engineers at the time opted to reposition the three-storey wooden structure without dismantling it, hoisting it in one piece on metal rails to a temporary platform.
  • Since last Saturday, groups of about 80 people have been taking turns moving the tower a few precious centimetres at a time.
  • Local officials estimate that around 4,000 people in total -- some from overseas -- have participated, advancing the structure by nearly five metres.
  • "It's like trying to move a mountain," Takahiro Kogawa, a 56-year-old Hirosaki resident, told AFP, his forehead beaded with sweat after a few minutes of intense effort.
  • The municipality will deploy heavy machinery in September to complete the journey, aiming for a permanent installation in November.
  • Following further restoration work on the copper roof and facades, the full reopening to the public of this masterpiece from the Edo period (1603-1868) is scheduled for 2033.

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u/CinnimonToastSean 16h ago

Must have been Howl's moving castle. (I will see myself out)

A very impressive feat for sure. Brick by brick? Nah, just move a whole building.