Ozu Castle has two turrets on either side and a tower in the middle. The tower was rebuilt in 2004 with enthusiastic donations from the locals -- from 10,000 yen to 136 million yen -- amounting to over 500 million yen in total. Using locally sourced wood and Edo Period models, they recreated a castle tower faithful to the original.

We’re about to disclose a hidden secret that you definitely wouldn’t know otherwise. On a beam near the ceiling of the fourth floor, there’s a small wooden mouse carving that’s hidden from view no matter how you position yourself. Some say the carpenter hid it as a commemoration to the tower reconstruction. Others say it was a good luck charm, because “A ship with rats never sinks.” Others still say it's part of a zodiac set. Only the carpenter himself knows the truth.