Hanzawa Naoki | 東京国立博物館 Grand Staircase — A Resin Screw Against the Bank

The inspection party arrives beneath a staircase built to make every entrance feel ceremonial. In episode six of 半沢直樹 Hanzawa Naoki, the entrance hall of 東京国立博物館 Tokyo National Museum becomes part of Tokyo Chuo Bank, receiving the Financial Services Agency team as if the building itself were bracing for judgment. Three episodes later, the same stairs frame a smaller object with enormous force: Hanzawa shows 大和田 Ōwada the resin screw that connects the bank’s polished hierarchy to an old wound. The staircase belongs to the museum’s 本館 Honkan, not to any bank. Its stone steps, branching rails and symmetrical lamps turn ordinary movement into theatre, which is why both scenes carry such authority. Unlike a studio interior, the space can still be experienced during museum opening hours with admission. Follow the museum’s current photography rules, keep the stairs moving and never stage a confrontation that blocks other visitors. Stand back long enough to see the symmetry. The drama’s towering institution suddenly rests on something small enough to hold between two fingers. Photo: Kestrel, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.