The southern Japanese prefecture of Kumamoto has recently introduced a two-day bus excursion designed to visit 10 bronze statues featuring characters from the immensely popular manga and anime television show “One Piece.” These installations were brought in as part of initiatives aimed at boosting tourism and aiding recovery following the devastating earthquakes in 2016.
The statues of Monkey D. Luffy and his nine fellow crew members — created by manga artist Eiichiro Oda from Kumamoto Prefecture — can be found throughout nine different towns. This allows visitors to commemorate the tragedy and observe the advancements made towards rebuilding.
The tour, which will be held once a month through September and five times during the school holidays in August, has been organized for domestic tourists. But the prefectural government will consider translation services if the tour draws many visitors from overseas, an official has said, with the One-Piece series also popular abroad.
The plot of the animated series revolves around Luffy, whose ambition is to become the pirate king. He sets off across the oceans accompanied by his friends in pursuit of the legendary treasure known as “One Piece.”
Oda has been a supporter of Kumamoto’s recovery, sending encouragement to residents shortly after the earthquakes through an illustration depicting Luffy stating, “Keep going” and “I’ll surely visit.”
On April 14, 2016, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 hit Kumamoto Prefecture. Two days after this event, another tremor measuring 7.3 shook the region. In total, 278 individuals lost their lives across Kumamoto and nearby Oita Prefecture, and approximately 43,000 structures sustained damage. The historic site known as Kumamoto Castle, which attracts many tourists, experienced crumbling stone walls and dislodged roof tiles from its towers due to these seismic activities.
Beginning with the unveiling of Luffy’s statue at the Prefectural Office Building in Kumamoto in November 2018, all ten members of the “Straw Hat Pirates” had their statues erected by July 2022.
The statues feature Sanji, the ship’s chef, in Mashiki, which suffered the most damage, along with Nico Robin, an archaeologist, in Minamiaso, where a 200-meter-long bridge gave way.
The cost of the tour is set at 28,000 yen ($200) for each participant, which covers two meals but does not include lodging expenses. Additionally, attendees will visit an earthquake memorial museum as well as a railway affected by the disaster.