It’s things like this that 1. make me bounce out of bed in the morning, 2. put a spring in my step and 3. put a smile on my face. And, I’m not talking about 1. my alarm, 2. my morning coffee and 3. beating my four-year-old at Mario Kart.

What you see below is, I believe, quite a rare find. While not exactly proof of the existence of Big foot or Nessie, it is up there, at least in my estimation. What it is, is a postcard depicting the three-story turret that became the substitute main tower of Mito Castle. It was built in 1766 but would ultimately be lost in a blaze during WWII bombing.

I think you’ll agree, it’s quite the ugly duckling. Usually when we cast our gaze upon the turrets & main towers of Japanese castles, we see elegant gables in the roofs, and the buildings themselves stand elevated atop stone foundations. All of these features are gracefully curved; all of these features are missing from this particular tower. What we are left with must be the least stunning of the former National Treasures of Japan (yes, it was).

Completely featureless it isn’t. The building is top-and-tailed by a pair of Shachi at the building’s highest point & Namako kabe walls at its base. The Shachi protected buildings from fire (no they didn’t), the slate-tiled walls protected the plastered walls from the weathering effects of snow. (Beats me, I’m Australian.)