A historic castle has been hauled more than two metres by hundreds of people in an incredible giant tug-of-war.
Amazing footage shows teams of volunteers heaving on huge ropes attached to the 400-tonne Hirosaki Castle keep.
The ancient structure can be seen slowly inching along specially installed rails as the crowds pull together.
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Around 1,800 people took part in the extraordinary effort, with groups taking turns to help shift the centuries-old castle.
The unusual operation is part of a mammoth restoration project to return the Japanese keep to its original position after it was moved in 2015 so repairs could be carried out on its historic stone walls, as reported by What’s The Jam.
Hirosaki city is running the public event, dubbed “Hippare! Keppare! Hirosaki Castle”, from 21 to 28 August.
Officials have billed the chance to watch the roughly 400-tonne structure move as one of the highlights of the event.
During the first stage, participants managed to haul the keep around 1.1 metres.
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They then shifted it another 1.1 metres the following day – taking the castle more than two metres closer to its original home.
The entire keep was moved around 78 metres from its usual position in 2015 so workers could dismantle and rebuild the stone wall beneath it.
More than 2,000 stones were painstakingly removed before being put back in place as part of the huge restoration project.
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The reconstruction of the stone wall was completed in December 2024.
Now members of the public are being given the rare opportunity to lend some muscle and help physically drag the historic building back into place.
Around 4,000 people are expected to take part across the various pulling sessions.
The public effort aims to shift the keep around five metres before machinery takes over for the rest of its journey.
Hirosaki Castle dates back centuries and is home to one of just 12 surviving original castle keeps in Japan, making its preservation a major cultural project.
The unusual spectacle has reportedly attracted huge interest, with thousands applying for the limited places available to take part.
But visitors face a lengthy wait before the mammoth restoration is completely finished.
Work is expected to continue for years, with the castle not due to fully reopen to visitors until 2033.
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