What's Going On With the NEW Japan Pavilion Restaurant in EPCOT?

Wouldn’t it be nice if Disney had one clear, specific opening date for every new project and upcoming attraction? Wouldn’t it be simpler if there was just one official ribbon-cutting ceremony per attraction, then that attraction would open to the public? Well, for better or worse, that’s not always the way it goes in Disney World.

Monorail in EPCOT

So why are we lamenting the Disney World opening timeline process on a random August afternoon? Well, we noticed something weird was going on in EPCOT, and our investigation took us on a wild journey. Buckle up, we’re going for a ride.

UPDATE: Shiki-Sai Sushi Izakaya is now open for walk-ins (usually daily from 12PM to 9PM). Reservations are available for dates starting on August 28th.

As you may have heard, a brand new restaurant is opening in EPCOT’s Japan pavilion this summer called Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya. The restaurant will be a table-service restaurant presenting, per Disney, a “festive dining experience in a sharable Izakaya-style.” We’re expecting a variety of “Japanese delights like sushi and teppan items,” plus an open sushi bar and grill. Disney explains this new spot will be a type of casual pub-style restaurant that puts an emphasis on drinks and conversations with friends (known as Japanese Izakaya).

It’s coming soon!

We’ve been on the lookout for any new details we could find — the full menu, an opening date, and operating hours are all still big topics we’re waiting for Disney to address. Recently, though, we did notice some new artwork appeared in the lobby area. Could this mean the opening date is coming soon?

New art!

On August 9th, we noticed that the Disney World website had newly listed operating hours for Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya. Check out the calendar — Disney listed operating hours from 12PM to 9PM, but the restaurant still says “Opening Soon!” right above the calendar. How mysterious!

©Disney

In the past, guests have used the Disney World calendar to look ahead and determine when an attraction or restaurant would open, but this time, we noticed operating hours available the same day we checked: August 9th! Did this mean Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya had a secret OPENING?!

This is what the location looked like for a while

Well, naturally, we went straight to the source: Disney World Cast Members. First, we checked with Guest Relations and were told that the restaurant is currently set to open “soon.” Then, we consulted some other Cast Members, who seemed surprised that the Disney World website had operating hours listed. Clearly, this was not a highly-publicized change.

We went to the experts

From there, we decided to investigate in EPCOT. We headed straight to the Japan Pavilion and marched right over to Shiki-Sai. Interestingly, the restaurant WAS open, but not for everyone.

It looks open, right?

Instead, there was a sign noting a “Private Event” was taking place. That explains a lot!

Boooo!!!

When we asked a Cast Member at the check-in desk, we were told that the restaurant would not officially open until later this month, though they did not have an official opening date. That said, the Disney World website has those same 12PM-9PM hours listed every day for the rest of the month. Could this mean that Disney is planning a soft opening? We’ll have to wait and see!

©Disney

We will continue to look out for more updates. In the meantime, we’re always on the lookout for the latest Disney news, so stay tuned for more.

How the NEW EPCOT Restaurant Will Be Unlike Any You’ve Seen Before

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