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The Main Entrance to the kantei
is situated on the east side of the building. First-time visitors
to the kantei may mistake this for the first floor. Since the
building uses the steep gradient between the east and west side of
the kantei site, the main entrance, which is on the high side,
is in fact on the third floor.
The front of the main entrance is fully glassed, giving an impression
of brightness. On a fine morning, the sunlight shining through this
glass creates thin, rainbow-like streaks on the floor.
Upon entering the Main Entrance, one is engulfed by the Entrance Hall
with its high ceilings.
In front of the entrance are kantei police officers and security
police on duty, and kantei police officers are also positioned
in the Entrance Hall to provide security and surveillance, to confirm
the destination of visits and to provide guidance and information.
The black granite used to pave the floor of the Entrance Hall is the
same stone that lends a calm hue to the Main Entrance, producing a
sense of unity between outside and in. American Cherry is used in
the walls and ceiling, and the bamboo plants of the Inner Court catch
the eye through the glass front.
There is a flight of stairs on the left just inside the Entrance Hall.
Buried discreetly under these stairs is the paving stone in which
is inscribed the year of the new kantei's completion, 2002.
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