'One Piece' statues serve as symbol of Kumamoto Pref. quake recovery

Yomiuri Shimbun photos A statue of Luffy, the main character in the "One Piece" manga series, is seen in front of the Kumamoto prefectural government building in Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, on Thursday. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

KUMAMOTO -- Fans of the manga series "One Piece" are flocking to Kumamoto Prefecture to see statues of characters from the popular franchise. Ten statues depicting various members of the Straw Hat Pirates have been installed in the prefecture. The representation of the series' protagonist, Luffy, is said to have alone generated an economic ripple worth around 2.7 billion yen, and the prefecture intends to utilize the statues as a symbol of recovery from the 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes.

"One Piece" began in 1997 in the weekly magazine Shukan Shonen Jump, published by Shueisha Inc. Luffy, who aspires to become Pirate King, embarks on an adventure with the Straw Hat Pirates in search of the legendary One Piece treasure. The manga series has been distributed in more than 57 countries and regions and has shifted more than 490 million copies.