Nishi-Ote Gate and Mototaiko Turret

The Nishi-Ote Gate was the most prestigious of three entrance points into the inner compound of Kumamoto Castle. In 1632, the first Hosokawa lord of Kumamoto dismounted his palanquin and bowed at this gate when arriving to take control of the domain. The original structure was dismantled during the Meiji-era government occupation of the castle, a wooden replica built in 2003 was subsequently damaged in the 2016 earthquake, and both the gate and the adjacent Mototaiko Turret, whose name suggests it once housed a large drum, are now in storage pending reconstruction. The site is part of Kumamoto Castle's ongoing restoration.