This unique 12-month program offers friendly, outgoing,
hospitality-oriented individuals from Japan the opportunity to represent the
cultures and traditions of their country while interacting with Guests from all
over the world. Participants hired as Cultural Representatives will work at the
Japan Pavilion or one of the Walt Disney World® Guest
Relations areas.
Epcot® opened at the Walt Disney
World® Resort on October 1, 1982. As part of
Epcot®, World Showcase has become "a community of
nations; the only permanent international exposition of its kind, focusing on
the culture, traditions, tourism and accomplishments of people around the
world." This community of nations is represented by the United Kingdom, France,
Morocco, Japan, Italy, Germany, China, Norway, Mexico, the United States and
Canada.
The entrance to Japan is dominated by a giant red torii,
proclaiming "Good Luck" to all who pass by. This torii is modeled after a gate
at the ancient Itsukushima Shrine in Hiroshima Bay. In the background, loom the
towers of a feudal castle that houses a cultural center with rotating displays
of Japanese art and cultural items. A pagoda with five stories representing
earth, water, fire, wind and sky rises 83 feet from the World Showcase
Promenade. From the koi pond filled with multicolored fish, to the neatly
sculpted shrubbery and cascading waterfall, this landscape is a picture of
energy and repose in harmony. A delicate wooden bridge leads from the gardens
to a building intricately designed to resemble the Katsura palace, which is the
site of the Yakitori House, a quick-service restaurant where Guests may sample
a variety of Japanese delectables.
On the opposite side of the Japan Pavilion is the great
Shishinden Hall, which houses the large Mitsukoshi department store.
Mitsukoshi, synonymous with "serving with sincerity" since 1672, presents the
very finest in Japanese arts and crafts. On the second floor of the Hall,
Guests experience another type of dining adventure in the Mitsukoshi
Restaurant, which features a delicious tempura bar and five teppanyaki dining
rooms. Within these rooms, Japanese master chefs create their culinary
masterpieces in a spellbinding tableside presentation. Outside, Guests enjoy
live entertainment such as Japanese drummers.