Yakitori House to Reopen as Katsura Grill in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion

The Eating Around Walt Disney World Blog has uncovered some new details about the unannounced 3-month closure of the Yakitori House counter service dining location in Epcot’s Japan Pavilion.

Essentially the three month project is to convert the entire hillside of pavilion into Katsura Gardens – an homage to the architecturally significant Katsura Imperial Villa and gardens in real-world Japan. The real Katsura Imperial Villa is located outside the city of Kyoto and considered one of the greatest achievements of Japanese architecture. Its minimalist design was very influential on famous 20th-century modernist architects like Le Corbusier, Bruno Taut, and Walter Gropius.

The actual quick-service dining location will be redesigned and renamed the Katsura Grill. It will serve roughly the same offerings as the old Yakitori House it replaces. Interestingly enough, the Yakitori House hasn’t served “yakitori” (poultry skewers) in years so the change in name will probably be less confusing to anyone who is familiar with Japanese cuisine.