Just
as the Chinese have a welcoming gate, so do the Japanese.
Their gate is from the Itsukushima shrine in Hiroshima
and is a traditional symbol of honor, and overlooks
the Epcot lagoon. The main focus of this pavilion
is a couple of restaurants and a department store,
but its tallest structure is the pagoda, a replica
of a 7th century Horyuji temple. The temple is five
levels tall, each symbolizing air, earth, fire, water,
and wind. While this is the most interesting structure
in the Japanese complex, it is pretty much ignored
except for when its lowest level is used as a stage
for musicians.
