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Upon entering the Entrance Hall, there was a staircase directly in front called
the "Otoko no Hanamichi (Glorious Path of Man)" leading up to
the 2nd Floor on which the Prime Minister's Office and the Cabinet Room were located.
On either side of this staircase were two narrow staircases that led down to the
Large Dining Room, the Small Dining Room, and the Smoking Room.
The said staircase called the "Otoko no Hanamichi," as well as
the staircase at the west side of the Entrance Hall, were decorated with tasteful
balustrades on both sides. It is said that when Dr. Inazo Nitobe (1862-1933),
a famous educator and scholar visited, and saw the complex decorations, he made
a humorous comment, "These are built to gather dust, aren't they?"
It is easy to imagine that the architects at the time poured all their expertise
and technical skill into constructing the "Prime Minister's Building"
in order to show Japan's grandeur overseas. |
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