Real People mover
About 1,800 people used ropes and the hikiya method to move the fortified tower more than six feet in Aomori Prefecture. Japan enlisted the help of hundreds of volunteers to move a portion of a 360-tonne castle more than six feet back into position, inch by inch, following renovations to the structure. About 1,800 people gathered over the weekend to pull large ropes attached to the Hirosaki Castle keep. The Hirosaki Castle keep was originally a five-story tower, but it was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1627. The keep — which is a fortified tower within a castle — was moved so repairs could be completed on a wall damaged during a major earthquake. Authorities opted to use a traditional Japanese building-relocation technique known as “hikiya,” in which entire structures are moved onto rollers without dismantling them, then pulled with ropes. They use this method because “the keep is a nationally designated important cultural property.”
Rotating teams used this traditional technique in which buildings are placed on rollers or rails and moved intact. The technique is used to preserve historic Japanese buildings that might otherwise be damaged or destroyed. “We had about 8,000 applications for the 1,800 slots over the last two days, roughly four times oversubscribed, so not everyone could participate,” Kensuke Hayasaka, head of the parks and green spaces division in Hirosaki City. “Not only people from the city, but from across Japan and overseas; a fair number from Southeast Asia, even Europe and North America.” Pulling the castle keep by hand will continue through the end of August, with about 4,100 people scheduled to move it a total of more than 16 feet.
The current three-story structure was rebuilt in 1811. Many Japanese castles were dismantled after the end of the Samurai era in 1868 or were destroyed during World War II. This marked the first time the traditional Japanese technique was used in more than a century. The process is set to continue until the end of August, when machinery will move the historic building the final 239 feet. “Once it’s back on the original base, the preservation work on the keep begins and the whole structure will be refinished. The wall has since been rebuilt, with all 2,185 stones returned to their original position. “As things stand, we expect it to reopen to visitors in 2033.”
1-2-3 Pull and Smile
Back when I was 8 years old, my family decided to move.
Don’t worry, I found where the place they moved to.
Following the protests, Iran has announced a controversial move to reopen outdoor markets.
Experts have described the move as a bazaar decision.
I discovered I can move my sister’s daughters through the air with my brain but not her sons.
I think I have telekinieces.
I heard Netflix and Yahoo are merging. They are moving their HQ to Jerusalem.
They’ll be known as Net ‘n’ Yahoo.
August 28th Birthdays
1965 – Shania Twain, 1998 – Emilia McCarthy, 1982 – LeeAnn Rimes, 1961 – Jennifer Coolidge
1969 – Jack Black, 1987 – Armie Hammer, 1969 – Jason Priestley, 1943 – David Soul