Every year, the Disney World horticulture team creates detailed and elaborate displays for the EPCOT International Flower & Garden Festival.
What You Need To Know
- One of the gardens featured in this year's Flower & Garden Festival is the Shishi-odoshi garden in the Japan pavilion
- The garden first appeared at the festival 20 years ago thanks to Shoji Kanaoka, who has worked at EPCOT since 1982
- The garden includes a bamboo water fountain feature known as a 'deer scarer'; Kanaoka has been teaching other cast members how to build it
The larger-than-life character topiaries are hard to miss and are often popular photo spots. But the festival also features beautiful, lush gardens located throughout the park—many of which can be found in the World Showcase.
The shishi-odoshi garden, one of gardens on display this year in the Japan pavilion, is all about tradition. Shoji Kanaoka, an aborist who’s been at EPCOT since opening, brought the garden to life more than 20 years ago. It was an idea born out of a desire to add more authentic features to the pavilion.
The garden includes a bamboo water fountain designed to ward off wildlife that might wander into it and eat the crops. The word shishi-odoshi means “scare deer.”
As water fills the bamboo tube, it tips, creating the sound of rushing water. The empty tube tips back causing the other end make a “thunk” sound once it falls.
The water is the life of the garden. Kanaoka compared it to blood running through a person’s veins.
“It’s a cycle,” he said. “Our bodies are almost the same way. The Japanese garden is always moving.”
The shishi-odoshi garden has been featured off and on at the festival throughout the years. For its return this year, Kanaoka and his team added wooden wind chimes—some of which Kanaoka built himself. And if you look closely, you might find a hidden Mickey.
Kanaoka, who has been with Disney for 40 years, also created the Zen gardens and smaller shishi-odoshis found around the pavilion all year long. But with retirement approaching, Kanaoka is passing his knowledge on to other cast members like Sierra Ruparelia, who has been training with him for the last two years.
Kanaoka has been showing them how to create a shishi-odoshi so it can return for future festivals.
The garden is located near the Takumi-Tei restaurant in the pavilion.
The EPCOT Flower & Garden Festival continues through July 5.
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