A city unites around a common goal: Moving a castle by hand

HIROSAKI, Japan – On one end stood Hirosaki Castle, a 400-ton landmark that has survived wars, fires and earthquakes. On the other was a group of about 80 schoolchildren, armed with ropes, yellow gloves and a tenacious spirit.

The people of Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, had been tasked with the herculean feat of pulling the historic castle by hand. And while buildings are not typically measured in weight, on this mission, every stone, every copper sheet, every wooden beam counted.

Gritting their teeth and bending their knees on Saturday, the children seized the ropes attached to the castle’s foundation. Chanting ”so-re,” or “heave-ho,” they began to pull.