MOROSUKE'S HISTORY: This unassuming gate is narrow - not even wide enough for a horse to pass - and thick, with heavy wooden doors reinforced with iron. It leads down to a small dock.
The water around the dock is not deep enough for a barge or cargo vessel, but the dock is only used for small pleasure craft. It is from this pier that nobles sail to Teardrop Island to visit the Licensed Quarter. It was to get access to this private dock that the Little Gate was built.
There was considerable debate over the construction of the Little Gate in the reign of the twentieth Governor. Conservative samurai argued that putting a gate on the river that close to the Noble Quarter would invite invasion. However, since the walls ended not far away, on the other side of the Bridge of Drunken Lovers, these arguments were dismissed by those eager to visit the Licensed Quarter, but substantially less anxious to travel to piers in the Merchant or Fisherman Quarter in order to gain access.
SHIGEKO'S DOSSIER: The Little Gate is a perpetual thorn in the side of any magistrate. This is where nobles go when they are randy, brash and eager to "polish their swords." It's where they come from when they are drunk, exhausted and hearing the dragons sing (G1). You will get called there to deal with troublesome samurai and samurai who are having trouble with heimin. Normally bandits are too smart to attack samurai, but they know that samurai returning from Teardrop Island are not at their best. Nobles are sensitive to being seen drunk by their inferiors, however, so there is resistance to having too many sentries posted. The Thunder Guard won't go near the place unless there's a major problem.
It's five minutes from the Bridge of Drunken Lovers and a little less than that from the Gate of Condescension.