ONE PIECE Kumamoto Restoration Project 9 years after the Kumamoto Earthquake, two days to see and feel the “ now” of Kumamoto “ONE PIECE Straw Hat Pirates Statue One Connect Bus Tour” begins operation A long-awaited tour fo r fans

[ONE PIECE Kumamoto Restoration Project] 9 years after the Kumamoto Earthquake, two days to see and feel Kumamoto’s “now” “ONE PIECE Straw Hat Pirates Statue One Connect Bus Tour” begins operation A
long-awaited tour for fans ​ Image
URL: ONE PIECE Kumamoto Recovery Project Press release: March 5, 2025 9 years after the Kumamoto Earthquake, two days to see and feel the current state of Kumamoto “ONE PIECE Straw Hat Pirates Statue Bus Tour” begins operation A long-awaited tour for fans Pre-bus tour will be held from April 5th (Sat) to 6th (Sun). Recruitment of free monitors starts from Wednesday, March 5th ONE PIECE Kumamoto Restoration Project (Kumamoto Prefecture) will start the “ONE PIECE Straw Hat Pirates Statues Bus Tour” that will take you around all 10 Straw Hat Pirates statues installed in Kumamoto Prefecture (operating company: Kyushu Sanko Tourism Co., Ltd.). In addition to visiting 10 bronze statues over the course of two days, we will also provide you with the opportunity to see and feel things that are the same as they were before the earthquake, as well as things that have been reborn after the earthquake, such as the sea, mountains, and local scenery, a product store with local specialties, and bridges that were damaged in the earthquake and replaced. The bus tour is scheduled to run approximately once a month starting from April 26th (Sat) to 27th (Sun). Tour recruitment will begin on March 5th (Wednesday) on the Kyushu Sanko Tourism application site (https://www.kyusanko.co.jp/tourism/tour/kt1a-000250/). Additionally, prior to the start of service, a pre-bus tour will be held for two days from April 5th (Sat) to 6th (Sun). We will invite 10 groups of 20 people to act as monitors by lottery. Recruitment for the pre-bus tour will begin on March 5th (Wednesday) on the official website of the reconstruction project (https://op-kumamoto.com/) and SNS (X: https://x.com/op_kfpj).
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/136904/2/136904-2-22446768456fb7e245441a4bd8093212-1200×900.png ■Two days to experience Kumamoto’s “now” This year marks 9 years since the Kumamoto earthquake. As we approach the 10th anniversary next year, we have decided to run a one-stop bus tour so that people can see, learn about, and feel the “now” of Kumamoto, which is not just about recovery but continues to evolve. This tour was designed so that you could experience the current state of Kumamoto by touring the bronze statues of the 10 ONE PIECE Straw Hat Pirates, seeing the scenery in each area, including places damaged by the Kumamoto Earthquake, and new ones created through creative reconstruction, enjoying local products, and occasionally interacting with local Kumamoto people. We hope that visitors can feel the powerful progress of recovery from the magnificent view of Aso and the buildings that have been renovated and powered up in the wake of the earthquake, such as Takamori Station and Shin-Aso Ohashi Bridge. ■ “ONE PIECE Straw Hat Pirates Statue Bus Tour” time schedule On the first day, we toured a total of four bronze statue areas, including the Kumamoto Earthquake Disaster Museum KIOKU and the renovated Takamori Station. For lunch, we will serve red beef hamburger steak at a restaurant overlooking Kusasenrigahama. On the second day, we will tour a total of six bronze statue areas, including the Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Garden, located on the shores of Lake Etsu, a place of relaxation for Kumamoto citizens, and the scenic spot Gokorai Kaigan, which has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Beaches and 100 Best Sunsets in Japan. Boarding and alighting points are Aso Kumamoto Airport, Kumamoto Station Shinkansen Exit, and Sakuramachi Bus Terminal. *Scheduled time may be delayed due to road conditions, etc. ■ Pre-bus tour held! Start recruiting monitors with no participation fee A pre-bus tour will be held for two days, April 5th (Sat) and 6th (Sun). Participation fee is free. Conducted according to the time schedule scheduled for the actual bus tour. We will invite 10 sets of monitors and 20 people. ・Application period 3/5 (Wednesday) ~ 3/12 (Wednesday) 23:59 ・Participation fee: Free (lunch included on both days) *Travel expenses to Kumamoto, transportation expenses, and accommodation expenses will be borne by the individual. ・Lottery results Only winners will be notified by email on March 14th (Friday) ・How to apply: Apply using the Google form below. Please watch the 5 introductory videos for each area and apply https://x.gd/fIfyJ ■ Bronze statues in 10 locations in Kumamoto Prefecture that are symbols of recovery and videos for each area The Straw Hat Pirates statue was created in 2018 by Eiichiro Oda, the creator of ONE PIECE and a manga artist from Kumamoto Prefecture As a commemoration of winning the Prefectural Honor Award and as a symbol of recovery, a statue of Luffy was installed at the Kumamoto Prefectural Office Promenade. After that, statues of the Straw Hat Pirates were installed in nine municipalities within the prefecture over a four-year period starting in 2019. ONE PIECE Kumamoto Reconstruction Project “Hinokuni Revitalization Edition” [Prologue]
https://youtu.be/dD5O5e-rIR8?feature=shared Luffy receives status reports from each area from the gang via Denden Mushi. I’m going to actually go see what’s going on. [Kumamoto City/Uto City] A treasure trove of beautiful nature and history
https://youtu.be/rdsudE6uCxE?feature=shared ・Kumamoto City (Luffy: Prefectural Office, Chopper: Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Garden) Luffy reunites with Chopper at the Kumamoto Zoo and Botanical Garden. Inside the park, “Kumamoto Castle”, Visit Jane’s House, the oldest existing Western-style building in the prefecture and designated as an important cultural property by the prefecture, and witness its restoration firsthand. ・Uto City (Jinbe: Sumiyoshi Kaigan Park) When Luffy visits Sumiyoshi Kaigan Park where Jinbe is located, his eyes sparkle at the magnificent view of the park’s “Nagabeda Kaitokoro” and the sea. The Gokorai Coast is a scenic spot that has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 best beaches and 100 best sunsets, and is a must-see as well, as it has a fantastic scenery unique to the Ariake Sea, which has a large tidal difference.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/136904/2/136904-2-1a143ad475d254aecd27a20188fb09cb-1801×2700.jpg [Mashiki Town/Mifune Town] Eat, sing, and
smile.https://youtu.be/lhv7GBsoTgo?feature=shared ・Mashiki Town (Sanji: Mashiki Town Exchange Information Center “Mina Terrace”) Mashiki Town suffered major damage from the earthquake, with over 90% of the houses in the town damaged. Luffy reunites with Sanji at the town’s exchange information center, “Mina Terrace,” and is lured by the delicious smell wafting around to visit the school lunch center, where he witnesses the evolution that has occurred after the disaster. ・Mifune Town (Brook: Fureai Hiroba Dinosaur Park) Mifune’s Fureai Plaza, where Brook is located, is a “dinosaur town” where Japan’s first carnivorous dinosaur tooth fossil was discovered. The Mifune Dinosaur Museum boasts the largest number of skeletons on display in Kyushu, and even after the earthquake, the 19 full-body dinosaur skeletons continue to have an overwhelming presence. In addition, this town is known for its music, and the “Mifune Town Brook Music Festival” is held once a year at the Fureai Plaza.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/136904/2/136904-2-c2e8576f5708d6f31014dbb2d196b457-1800×2700.jpg [Otsu Town/Aso City] A strong and robust recovery
https://youtu.be/EBpGkLoNku8?feature=shared ・Otsu Town (Zoro: Otsu Central Park) Luffy reunites with Zoro at Otsu Central Park, a place of relaxation for the townspeople. In the park, the Town Kendo Federation was holding a cold training session to commemorate the installation of the bronze statue. Seta Shrine, whose main building was directly hit by a falling rock and collapsed, was completely restored in 2017. Otsu Town Hall, which has been undergoing
reconstruction since the disaster, will complete its new building in 2021 and become a symbol of recovery. The town continued to move forward. ・Aso City (Usopp: Aso Station) Aso City, where Usopp is located, is home to one of the world’s best “caldera” and
“Kusasenrigahama”, a beautiful natural contrast created by a prairie formed from the remains of a crater and a pond that is said to have been formed by collecting rainwater. Grasslands damaged by earthquakes are returning to their original state through the power of nature and through human grassland protection efforts such as burning. The main headquarters of Aso Shrine, one of approximately 500 shrines across the country, suffered severe damage due to the earthquake, with the tower gate and worship hall collapsing, but it was fully restored in December 2023.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/136904/2/136904-2-d6c4330fac624f565bec169136a28dec-1800×2700.jpg [Nishihara Village, Minamiaso Village, Takamori Town] Proceed with recovery in harmony with nature
https://youtu.be/rUe-RBgf_MU?feature=shared ・Nishihara Village (Nami: Tawarayama Community Center Moe no Sato) Nishihara Village, the gateway to the Minamiaso region where Nami is located, is a village full of variety and bustling with activity every day, with the popular product center “Tawarayama Exchange Center Moe no Sato” selling freshly harvested vegetables and specialty products, the hands-on farm “Milk Farm,” and “Shiraito Falls,” which has been selected as one of the prefecture’s “100 Famous Waters of the Heisei Era.” ・Minamiaso Village (Robin: Former Tokai University Aso Campus) On the former Tokai University Aso campus, where Robin is located, is the Kumamoto Earthquake Disaster Museum KIOKU, a facility that conveys the damage and lessons learned from the earthquake to future generations, where you can learn about what happened at the time of the earthquake, the mechanism by which earthquakes occur, and how humans and nature should coexist. The Aso Ohashi Bridge, which collapsed in the earthquake, has been restored as the “New Aso Ohashi Bridge.” At the foot of the bridge, a new observatory called “Yo Mur”, which means “to see well” in the Kumamoto dialect, has been established, allowing visitors to enjoy a panoramic view of the Kumamoto plains. ・Takamori Town (Franky: Minami Aso Railway Takamori Station) In Takamori Town, the easternmost part of Kumamoto Prefecture where Franky is located, the Minami Aso Railway, which had some sections closed due to the earthquake, has reopened in its entirety.
Furthermore, as part of the reconstruction project, a train called the “Sunny Train”, which is modeled after the Thousand Sunny, has started operating. At the Takamori Yusui Tunnel Park, due to renewal in March 2023, the Takamori Mysterious Newsletter was created, which projects images onto the tunnel walls to help you learn about the charms of Takamori Town. Takamori Dengaku, a local dish with a history of 250 years, is still loved as a gourmet specialty. Takamori Town, a mix of old and new, was full of vitality.
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/136904/2/136904-2-8cdde5db8c75ac5a733a132f58aa4580-1800×2700.jpg ■“ONE PIECE” and Kumamoto Prefecture collaborate. The trigger was a message I received from Eiichiro Oda The Kumamoto earthquake occurred in April 2016. Immediately after the earthquake, on April 17th, we received a heartwarming message from Eiichiro Oda, a manga artist from Kumamoto Prefecture, who said, “I will definitely help.” In order to use this message as a “driving force” for Kumamoto’s recovery, the “ONE PIECE Kumamoto Recovery Project” was launched in collaboration with the manga “ONE PIECE” and Kumamoto Prefecture. In order to act as a driving force for recovery from the Kumamoto Earthquake, the prefecture is implementing a variety of projects, including installing Straw Hat Pirates statues and starting the operation of the “Sunny Train” to support the restart of the disaster-stricken Minamiaso Railway. ーーーー ONE PIECE Kumamoto Restoration Project Official YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@onepiece4898?si=ZYAPSmxDg55-vKDN ONE PIECE Kumamoto reconstruction project website https://op-kumamoto.com/ ONE PIECE Kumamoto Recovery Project X Account https://x.com/op_kfpj ーーーー
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