With apologies to The Vapors, a visit to the Japan Pavilion at Disney World’s EPCOT World Showcase.

A replica of the famous red gate, or Torii in Japanese, leading to the Itsukushima Shinto Shrine. According to the official tourism site for the island of Miyajima where the Shrine stands, the Torii is the “. . . boundary between the spirit and the human worlds.” The red coloration is meant to ward off evil spirits.

A replica of the pagoda at the Buddhist Temple in Nara, Japan.

Another view of the pagoda.

Panorama of the pagoda with koi pond.

One of the matching pair of Samurai warriors on horseback that flank the entrance to the Japanese castle that houses the large L-shaped Japanese department store.

Besides the department store, there is a small museum currently featuring numerous examples of “kawaii” culture, which is, according to the dictionary, items deemed cute by Japanese culture.

“Hiro Tanaka is a ‘salaryman’, a fixture of Japanese society. Long days at his Tokyo firm are followed by evenings out with colleagues and clients. But even a buttoned-down salaryman like Tanaka-san can have a taste for kawaii culture. Kawaii representations of salarymen have even become modern-day folk heroes featured in television, films, and games.” — from the exhibit interpretive panel

A demonstration of how pearls are found in clams draws a crowd.

Hip Japanese cats.

The Japan Pavilion at night.

The pagoda at night.