In the city of Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, there exists a 1/25 scale reproduction of the White House within Tobu World Square.
When one mentions the White House, the iconic image of the residence with its semicircular balcony comes to mind. The building extends horizontally from that point, forming what is referred to as the East Wing and West Wing.
In this examination, we will focus on the accuracy of the reproduction of the East Wing. The administrator of this website, who has actually visited the White House, will delve into this topic.
The East Wing: Gateway for Guests
The East Wing occupies the eastern side of the White House and serves as the initial area that guests invited by the President pass through. Visitors on guided tours also follow the same route, heading toward the residence.
A long corridor characterizes the North side of the East Wing. Here, there is a private movie theater exclusively for the President’s family, and the First Lady’s office is situated on the second floor of the East Wing’s eastern building.
Moreover, underground shelters are present for emergencies, making this area quite significant.
The South side of the East Wing features large windows, offering views of the residence, the semicircular balcony, and the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
The reproduction of the White House within Tobu World Square includes the East Wing, allowing visitors to observe details such as the open windows and the entrance area.
Differences from the Actual White House
The White House, being the official residence of the world’s leading President, is heavily guarded and secured in its surroundings.
As a result, regular tourists can only view the building from outside the premises, often from a distance. Observing the entirety of the White House is not feasible.
Especially for the buildings extending to the East and West, they are relatively lower in height compared to the residence and are surrounded by tall trees. As a result, careful observation is required not to overlook them.
Given these circumstances, there are several differences between the East Wing of the reproduction at Tobu World Square and the actual White House.
Firstly, the grilles on the large windows symbolizing the East Wing differ. In the actual White House, the windows have a thicker vertical grille in the center, with two grilles on each of the side windows and four grilles on the horizontal windows.
Additionally, air conditioning units are installed between the floor and windows, creating a slight wall-like structure between the ground and windows when viewed from the outside.
On the contrary, in the White House reproduction at Tobu World Square, the windows extend from the floor to the ceiling, lacking the two extra vertical grilles.
Regarding the number of windows, the actual White House has various arrangements: French doors on the South side of the Visitor Foyer at the west end of the East Wing, each side having a 1/5-sized (thin windows equivalent to 1/5 of the standard window), eight windows plus one 1/5-sized window on the western end of the corridor, one window plus 1/5-sized windows on the South side of the Garden Room, and the same pattern of French doors as the Visitor Foyer on the West side, leading to the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden.
However, in the Tobu World Square reproduction, the windows follow a uniform pattern and are more numerous compared to the actual White House.
The East Wing: Open and Yet Concealed
The East Wing, inevitably traversed by guests invited by the President, stands as an open space within the White House, as evidenced by its large south-facing windows.
Nevertheless, it is surrounded by tall trees, rendering its observation from the outside impossible.
Being both open and protective of guests’ safety, this is the role of the East Wing.
