県庁

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: The written form is 県庁, read けんちょう. Elements for prefecture and government office combine to denote the prefectural administration office or its building.
• Basic usage: 県庁の入口 identifies the building entrance where a map is obtained, while 県庁の建物 identifies the old office building being toured.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• The government-office entrance
  • A visitor receives a guide map at the prefectural government office entrance. Example: 県庁の入口で案内図をもらいました。 — I got a guide map at the entrance of the prefectural government office.
• The office as a building
  • The second use treats the office as an old building that is toured and sketched. Example: 古い県庁の建物を見学して絵を描きました。 — I toured and sketched the old prefectural office building.