Hirosaki City in Aomori Prefecture is holding a tower-return event from Friday, August 21 to Friday, August 28, 2026, called 「ひっぱれ！けっぱれ！弘前城」.
The tower of Hirosaki Castle was moved about 70 meters by a technique called hikiya (house-moving) in 2015 to allow repairs to the Honmaru (main enclosure) stone wall. It is now finally returning to its original position. This will be the first time the tower has been moved back since 1915 — 111 years ago. Hirosaki Castle's tower is one of Japan's 12 surviving original castle towers, and its return marks a historic moment.
During the event period, visitors can watch the tower-return work up close, along with a variety of programs that bring the site's history and culture to life, including a special viewing of the inner moat.
Event Overview
Opening Ceremony — August 21 (Friday)
Venue: Honmaru
Ceremony
Time: 5:00 PM to 5:50 PM
Night Special Show at Honmaru
Time: 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Projection mapping, Honmaru light-up, a drone show, and fireworks
Festival — August 22 (Saturday) and 23 (Sunday)
Venue: Honmaru, Kita-no-Kuruwa, and other areas
In addition to the tower-return experience, events will be held across Hirosaki Park, including a special inner moat viewing, traditional wooden boat (wasen) rides, a mystery-solving quiz rally, and a water park.
Photo Spot Opening — August 24 (Monday) to 28 (Friday)
Venue: Honmaru, Kita-no-Kuruwa, and other areas
In addition to the tower-return experience, a photo spot will be open where visitors can pull a rope in front of Hirosaki Castle's tower.
Content and times are subject to change or cancellation depending on weather and other conditions.
Hirosaki Castle Stone Wall Repair
About Hirosaki Castle
Construction of Hirosaki Castle was planned by Tsugaru Tamenobu, the first lord of the Hirosaki Domain, and was completed in 1611 (Keicho 16) under the second lord, Tsugaru Nobuhira.
The current tower, standing at the southeast corner of the Honmaru, was rebuilt in 1810 (Bunka 7) by the ninth lord, Tsugaru Yasuchika, officially as a watchtower (yagura). It is one of Japan's 12 surviving original castle towers, and together with three corner turrets and five gates of the Ninomaru (second enclosure), it is designated an Important Cultural Property.
Stone Wall Repair from the Heisei to Reiwa Eras
Following the 1983 (Showa 58) Nihonkai-Chubu earthquake, the city began regular monitoring of the Honmaru's eastern stone wall. The survey found that the wall was bulging outward, and that continued movement risked a collapse, leading to a decision in 2011 (Heisei 23) to fully dismantle and repair it.
Repair Schedule
| Fiscal Year | Work |
|---|---|
| 2014 (Heisei 26) | Inner moat reclamation work |
| 2015 (Heisei 27) | Tower-moving (hikiya) work — the tower was moved about 70 meters toward the center of the Honmaru |
| 2016 (Heisei 28) | Stone wall dismantling work begins |
| 2017 (Heisei 29) | Stone wall dismantling work continues (1,233 stones dismantled); Honmaru excavation survey |
| 2018 (Heisei 30) | Stone wall dismantling work completed (2,172 stones in total); Honmaru excavation survey |
| 2019 (Reiwa 1) | Inner moat excavation survey (through fiscal year 2020) |
| 2021 (Reiwa 3) | Stone wall rebuilding work (north section) begins; an additional 13 stones at the north end of the repair area dismantled |
| 2023 (Reiwa 5) | Stone wall rebuilding work (south section) begins; tower foundation seismic reinforcement work begins |
| 2024 (Reiwa 6) | Stone wall rebuilding work completed |
| 2026 (Reiwa 8) | Tower foundation seismic reinforcement work scheduled to be completed; tower return |
| 2027 (Reiwa 9) | Honmaru exterior improvement work planned |
| 2028 (Reiwa 10) | Tower seismic and preservation repair work scheduled to begin |
Footage of the Hirosaki Castle Tower Return
Video: Footage of the "jacking-up and first-stage move," carried out between June 12 and July 3, 2026
