Story of Ote Gate by Mr. Ken Takeda, member of Himeji Rojo Lions Club

There are some buildings and gates, about which nobody knows; when were they built?
Ote Gate, which both citizens and tourists admire, leads to the castle grounds. There used to be the gate called "Kiri Gate 2" at the very site where Ote Gate stands. In the Meij Period when the 10th Infantry was stationed on the castle grounds, it was torn down to build the barracks for the army. More details were not known about this gate.
In fact there were some more gates in the area where Ote Gate stands in the Edo Period or Tokugawa Period. It is said that "Kiri Gate 2" used to be at the very site where Ote Gate stands now.
In the Show Period the castle was designated as the historic site and late as a national treasure. This made Japanese people more interested in this castle. After the completion of West Quarter's repair work, another construction work was planned.
The construction work for Ote Gate started in September,1936 and was completed in March,1938. This type of gate is called "Korean Gate" with a small gate on one side and tiled roof on top.
The total cost of its construction was 13,380.51 yen, including stones, timbers, metal and tiles. There were some constructions planned and the cost was estimated. Because the continuation of China war, they were cancelled.
It is a pity that some other gates have not been rebuilt.