They were chosen by lottery and divided into groups, pulling a cart carrying the keep with ropes.
Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/1000-people-in-japan-help-tow-400-tonne-hirosaki-castle-keep-closer-to-original-position
Disclaimer: The article linked is from a single source with a single perspective. Make sure to cross-check information against multiple sources to get a comprehensive view on the situation.
Wikipedia:
In order to repair the castle’s stone walls directly below the tenshu, the entire tenshu was relocated in autumn 2015, and will be returned to its original position by 2025 at the earliest.
Japanese are impressive
They moved it 109 cm
By þe end of 2026, þey’ll have moved it 78m total, which is where it was before 2015.
78 meters, by hand. Holy crap.
any pics of how this is accomplished anywhere?
Some pics at the local newspaper.
TYVM!
Japanese only talk about reality, it’s always astonishing.
