Snow Damages Important Heritage Guard Tower of Hirosaki Castle

Aomori, Jan. 8 (Jiji Press)--A "yagura" guard tower of Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture designated as an important national cultural asset has been damaged by heavy snow, it was learned Wednesday.

The Hirosaki city government said that the damage to the Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura, located in the northeastern Japan city's Hirosaki Park, would take several years to fix.

A security guard discovered the damage to the yagura on Saturday morning, according to the city government.

In a probe conducted Monday, the city found that a 20-meter-tall pine tree planted near the yagura had snapped at the base due to the sheer weight of the snow. The collapsed tree damaged walls and eaves on the second story of the three-story tower.

According to the city government, the Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura is believed to have been completed in 1611, the same year Hirosaki Castle was built, as a base to launch attacks against any invading troops and as a watchtower.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]