The Most Astonishing Thing You Can Do in the Japan Pavilion at EPCOT

There are a lot of activities to do in EPCOT, where each country’s pavilion has its own unique offerings.

The Japan Pavilion has one of our favorite things to do!

Japan has some of our favorite restaurants, including Teppan Edo, where the chef cooks right before you, and Takumi-Tei, for an upscale meal.

They also have one of our favorite stores, Mitsukoshi, which offers a pearl-picking experience called Akoya Pearls.

For this experience, you get to choose your own oyster, and the skilled Cast Members open the shell and pull out your pearl! This creates a bit of a mystery, as you don’t know the color, size, or even quantity until it’s opened.

Every shell is guaranteed to have at least one pearl, so don’t worry, you’ll at least get one! The Cast Members will help measure it and polish it after a quick drumming ceremony. You can even have your pearl set into jewelry, or you can just take home the pearl.

If you choose to have it set, the Cast Members will do it for you and have you pick it up later in the day. So, if you’re planning on having your pearl placed in jewelry, make sure you go to this experience earlier in the day and don’t wait until the very end.

We think this is one of the most unique activities you can do in EPCOT, and we love to have a pearl that we picked ourselves! We’ve seen a variety of pearls, including white, pink, green, and even sometimes a black one. It’s fun to see how different they are from person to person.

If you’re heading to the Japan Pavillion, you should consider stopping by Akoya Pearls and getting this one-of-a-kind souvenir. Stay up to date with AllEars to learn more about our favorite places at Disney.

Heading to EPCOT soon? Check out our full Flower and Garden Festival guide before your next trip!

Have you ever done the Akoya Pearl experience in EPCOT? Let us know in the comments!