In some castles, small multiple-tiered Yagura were called Sho-Tenshu (small keep) or Fuku-Tenshu (small keep) and Tenshu that were intermediate in scale between Tenshu and Sho-Tenshu were referred to as Chu-Tenshu (medium keep), and if there were more than one Sho-Tenshu as in the case of the group of Tenshu in Himeji-jo Castle, each of these was given a prefix indicating direction.
城によっては、小さめの多重櫓を小天守（しょうてんしゅ）や副天守（ふくてんしゅ）また小天守との間程の規模のものを中天守（ちゅうてんしゅ）などといい、姫路城天守群のように小天守が複数ある場合には方角を冠することもある。