Two golden shachihoko, an emblematic symbol of Nagoya Castle, were lowered from the main tower keep by helicopter on Monday morning for the first time in 16 years. They will be on display until July to boost the tourism industry, which has been hit hard by the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The shachihokos measure about 2.6 meters high and weigh about 1.2 tons each. The votive roof ornaments with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp were wired to a helicopter and lifted carefully into the air.
The shachihokos will be on display from March 20 to July 11 at the Ni-no-maru Area of Nagoya Castle and in downtown Nagoya. A tour around roadside stations in Kiso, Nagano Prefecture and Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, two areas famous for Kiso cypress, which was used in the construction of the castle, is planned for April 6.
In past returns to land level, shachihoko were displayed at the Nagoya Castle Expo in 1984 and at the Expo 2005, held in Aichi Prefecture.
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