The Pagoda mast was a type of superstructure, common on Japanese ships reconstructed during the 1930s in a bid to improve their fighting performance; these improvements were deemed necessary by the Imperial Japanese Navy owing the the "Battleships Holiday" imposed by the Washington Naval Treaty, prohibiting the construction of new battleships until said Treaty's expiry in 1936.

Pagoda masts featured a mass of platforms, including watch points, searchlights, and spotting points. They were constructed on the majority of ships rebuilt by the Japanese, including the Kongō class battle-cruisers and the Fusō, Ise, and Nagato class Battleships. The additional platforms were supported on the ships' original tripod foremasts, used extensively by the Royal Navy, suitably strengthened to bear the new weight atop them. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore the Senior Service). ...