Love One Piece and wondering how to work it into your Japan vacation? Check out our answers to common questions about One Piece Japan travel.
Where can I see Luffy in Japan?
The official statue of Monkey D. Luffy is in front of the Kumamoto Prefecture Administrative Office in Kumamoto City. Mugiwara Store locations also often have a figure of Luffy that you can pose for photos with. We’ve been to the Mugiwara Stores in Odaiba Tokyo and in Kumamoto, and there were other statues in addition to Luffy too!
Is the Tokyo One Piece Tower reopening?
Sadly, no. Tokyo One Piece Tower is not open anymore. It opened in 2015, and over 2 million mugiwaras visited before the installation closed in 2020.
And, oh boy oh boy straw boy, do we wish we’d gotten to visit.
In its heyday, Tokyo One Piece Tower was a massive 3,000 square meter indoor installation. It took up 3 whole floors of Tokyo Tower, about 10% of the total space.
One of its best features? There was a 20-meter tall recreation of the Thousand Sunny. No word on whether or not any of its 5,000 parts could power a Coup de Burst though.
Where should One Piece fans go in Japan?
There isn’t really a singular One Piece place in Japan, such as a particular building or location.
That said, Kumamoto is the overall epicenter of all things One Piece. The prefecture is home to shops, statues, a Thousand Sunny-themed train, and the airport even has a One Piece mural that’s open to the public.
If you wanted to go to the main place for all things One Piece in Japan, you would head to Kumamoto.
From Tokyo to Kumamoto, you can visit shops, ride special trains, and even tour all statues of each Straw Hat crew member.
We break this down in more detail here:
10 spot recommendations for One Piece fans in Japan
Are there One Piece statues in Japan?
One Piece fan sites in Japan: Stores, all 10 statues & more
Is Impel Down’s pool of boiling blood based on something real?
East of Kumamoto Prefecture in Oita Prefecture, Beppu is known both for its onsen and its volcanic pools. The Hells of Beppu are multiple, distinct pools that the public can view (but they are too hot for bathing). Two are a distinct red, making them look like boiling, steaming pools of blood.
Impel Down’s pool of boiling blood is probably at least a little based on the Hells of Beppu.
Does Japan have anime stores?
Oh yes, Japan has anime stores aplenty. The most common are the Jump Shops from Shonen Jump. We’ve visited Jump Shops in Tokyo and Fukuoka. Each location had merch, souvenirs, and collectibles from a range of Shonen Jump titles, from One Piece to Naruto, and much more.
One Piece also has its own dedicated shops, called Mugiwara Stores. You can find Mugiwara Stores in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, and Kumamoto. Temporary popup shops happen throughout Japan at various times of year too.
Is One Piece available in Japan?
Yes. You can find One Piece manga titles throughout Japanese retailers. The anime is also available on networks and streaming sites.
Is there a One Piece cafe in Japan?
As far as we’re aware, there isn’t a One Piece cafe in Japan.
Where is the One Piece ship in Japan? Isn’t there a replica in Nagasaki?
The Tokyo Tower One Piece installation had a large version of the Thousand Sunny. It closed in 2020.
Nagasaki’s Huis Ten Bosch theme park hosted a One Piece ship replica, but this ended in 2022.
Is there an official One Piece store in Japan?
Yes! Mugiwara Stores are official One Piece stores. They have locations throughout Japan, including Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Kumamoto.
Is One Piece from Kumamoto?
One Piece’s creator, Eiichiro Oda, is from Kumamoto City in Kumamoto Prefecture. One Piece isn’t set there, but is set in its own world. Even though One Piece isn’t set in Kumamoto, we’d argue that the landscapes of the prefecture, from its coastlines to its volcanoes, have influenced Oda’s vision of the world of One Piece.
What city in Japan has the One Piece statues?
Statues of all 10 Straw Hat crew members are scattered throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. Here are their locations on a map:
For One Piece Japan travel, here’s how the 10 statues are spread out. Only 2 are in Kumamoto City itself. The others are in towns and countryside areas throughout Kumamoto Prefecture:
- Luffy and Chopper are in Kumamoto City
- Zoro is in Ozu
- Nami is in Nishihara
- Usopp is in Aso
- Sanji is in Mashiki
- Robin is in Minamiaso
- Franky is in Takamori
- Brook is in Mifune
- Jinbe is in Uto
While the statues are spread throughout Kumamoto Prefecture, you can visit them all in as little as one day. We give full details on their locations, plus suggested itineraries, in this One Piece travel guide.
Can I visit the One Piece statues if I only have time for a day trip from Fukuoka?
If you only have time for a day trip from Fukuoka, you can visit at least some of the statues, but only a few.
Since Luffy and Chopper are in Kumamoto, at a minimum you could visit Luffy, and odds are you could visit Chopper too.
The other statues are all outside of town. To visit all 10, you’ll need an early start from Kumamoto itself to fit all 10 into one day, or you can break things up over 2 or 3 days if you can have more of your stay in Kumamoto itself.
How long does it take to visit all the One Piece statues?
To answer this One Piece Japan travel question, we’re going to base the answer off driving. Technically it’s possible to visit all the statues via public transportation, but it’s tricky (plus Nami and Robin aren’t convenient from public transport at all).
If you wanted to visit all the One Piece statues, at a minimum, a 1-day One Piece statue tour would take about 11 hours.
We go into more detail in our One Piece guide.
If visiting the statues is a priority, we’d suggest spending at least 2 full days in Kumamoto. We also put together a 2-day statue tour itinerary. You visit 5 statues on day 1 and 5 statues on day 2, plus there are optional side quests.
Is it easier to visit the One Piece statues if I rent a car?
Yes, it’s much easier to visit the One Piece statues if you rent a car.
Rent a car to tour the One Piece statues at your own pace
We suggest renting your own wheels and self-pacing your statue tour over a couple of days. Check availability at these car rental services below:
I don’t see my One Piece Japan travel question answered here. What now?
We’d love to take a crack at your One Piece Japan travel question! Please message us on Instagram @learnersandmakers, or head to our contact page.
