A Japan pavilion is one of the original World Showcase pavilions and had been in planning since the late 1970s. Many attractions have been proposed for the pavilion and one show building was built, but left unused. Meet the World was one planned attraction and was a clone of the attraction Meet the World that was once at Tokyo Disneyland. But because management thought that the Japanese film’s oversight of World War II might upset many Veterans, it was dropped. The show was so close to opening, the show building and rotating platform was built but then unused.

For years, the idea of a roller coaster attraction based on Matterhorn Bobsleds from Disneyland but themed to Japan’s Mt. Fuji has been mulled over by Imagineers. Space, lack of sponsor, and money has been a deciding factor in many of the reasons. Fuji Film originally wanted to sponsor the ride in the early 1990s. Kodak, a major Epcot sponsor, convinced Disney to decline the sponsorship. At one point, Godzilla or a large lizard attacking guests in their cars was tied to theming. Another attraction proposed was a walk through version of “Circle-Vision”, in which guests would board and walk through a Shinkansen (bullet train) and looking through windows (actually film screens) that showcase Japan’s changing landscapes before exiting. The train would have shaken and moved like a train going through the countryside.

The Japan pavilion is made up of buildings surrounding a courtyard. The entrance to the courtyard features a Japanese Pagoda. A torii gate decorates the water in front of the pavilion. The area is filled with Japanese pools and gardens. At the end of the courtyard is the gate to a Japanese castle, including a moat, which leads into a display of Japanese culture.

Shopping

The Mitsukoshi department store sells many Japanese items, including clothing, jewelry, books, manga, anime items (such as posters), and toys. It has been expanded in recent years to include a far greater variety of items than before. More specifically, a greater portion of the store sells Japanese pop-culture related items, presumably to take advantage of the growing interest in these types of products in America.