This dramatic torii gate, a symbol of good luck, welcomes us to Japan. Torii are found throughout Japan at the entrance to ancient shrines. This one is a replica of the gate at the Itsukushima Shrine on an island in Japan's Inland Sea. Just like the original, this torii displays signs of weathering from the ebb and flow of the tides, as well as a growth of barnacles at its base. The difference is that here those details have been painstakingly added by artists from Walt Disney Imagineering.
The pagoda standing above the entrance courtyard of the Japan pavilion is also modeled on an actual structure. This time, the inspiration was the pagoda of Horyuji Temple in Nara, which dates to the 8th century. Different from a Chinese pagoda, the Japanese style typically features less color, a less-curved roofline and much less ornamentation. Instead, the pagoda emphasizes simple lines and purity of form. The five story pagoda, Goju-No-To, represents the five elements which Buddhists believe make up the universe. In ascending order they are earth, water, fire, wind and Heaven.
At the back of the pavilion is a reproduction of Shirasagi-Jo, the White Egret Castle, which overlooks the Japanese city of Himeji. Fortresses like this were built during Japan's feudal period to guard the country's ports and waterways. Here, the castle guards a hidden space once intended for an attraction. The show "Meet the World" was designed as a carousel theater presentation of Japanese history. It played at Tokyo Disneyland from 1983 to 2002, but never made the trip west to Epcot. Today, the space is occupied by gallery exhibits, an expansion of the Mitsukoshi Department Store and a backstage maintenance facility.
