▲ Profile image of the official 'One Piece' account supporting earthquake-hit Kumamoto
Following a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake that struck the western Kyushu region of Kumamoto Prefecture on July 28, causing massive casualties and property damage, people from all walks of life have stepped up to offer physical and emotional support.
What particularly draws attention is the support from the creator of the popular Japanese manga series 'One Piece'.
It was learned on July 30 that the official 'One Piece' account on X (formerly Twitter) recently changed its profile picture to an image of the main character, Luffy, wearing a T-shirt featuring the English word "KUMAMOTO" and a bear design symbolizing the prefecture.
Eiichiro Oda, the original author of 'One Piece', is a native of Kumamoto Prefecture. Having actively engaged in local revitalization projects after a massive earthquake claimed about 270 lives in Kumamoto a decade ago, he is interpreted as having sent another message of support to his hometown, which has been hit hard by the earthquake once again.
Since the 2016 earthquake, author Oda has collaborated with local governments in Kumamoto Prefecture to carry out the "One Piece Kumamoto Reconstruction Project".
He has donated 800 million yen (approx. 7 billion KRW) to Kumamoto Prefecture since 2016, and in response, the prefecture erected a statue of the main character Luffy in front of the prefectural office building in 2018.
As 'One Piece' fans from both inside and outside Japan flocked to see the statue, the prefecture went on to erect statues of 'One Piece' characters one by one in nine towns heavily affected by the strong earthquake.
With the pilgrimage tour to see these statues gaining such popularity that it helped increase local tourism revenue, favorable evaluations have followed.
Author Oda also engages in activities such as presenting 'One Piece'-related commemorative goods and new illustrations to young adults in Kumamoto Prefecture reaching the age of majority.
Kumamoto Prefecture even presented the "Prefectural Honor Award" to Oda, the creator of 'One Piece', which entered the Guinness World Records for the highest number of copies sold globally, nearing 500 million copies.
Aside from the 'One Piece' author, Japanese slugger and baseball player Munetaka Murakami, who plays for the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball, is also from Kumamoto Prefecture and expressed his deep affection for residents affected by the earthquake.
He appeared in the game against the New York Yankees held on July 29, following the recent strong earthquake, and said, "This is precisely the time when I want to try to be of even a little help."
Having experienced the intensity 7 situation firsthand while living in his hometown as a student during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, he previously made donations for the restoration of Kumamoto Castle.
Yoshiki, a member and the leader-drummer of the famous Japanese rock band X Japan, although not originally from this region, expressed his support for disaster recovery by donating 10 million yen (approx. 88 million KRW) in response to the earthquake damage in Kumamoto Prefecture.
In addition, Taiwan's Presidential Office stated that President Lai Ching-te donated 200,000 New Taiwan Dollars (approx. 8.86 million KRW) in an individual capacity to support the earthquake damage in Kumamoto.
Immediately after the earthquake on July 28, President Lai offered comfort in a message posted in both Chinese and Japanese on his X (formerly Twitter) account, stating, "Taiwan and Japan are true friends who share hardships together, and Taiwan is always ready to provide assistance."
Regions that have suffered major earthquake damage in the past also stepped up to provide support out of a shared sense of empathy.
NHK reported that the towns of Noto and Wajima in Ishikawa Prefecture, which experienced the Noto Peninsula earthquake that caused hundreds of deaths in January 2024, dispatched "toilet cars" equipped with two flush toilets in truck cargo beds to Hikawa, Kumamoto Prefecture, on July 30.
It is known that Hikawa has a tie with them, having supported straw mats (tatami) to be spread on the floors of local evacuation shelters during the Noto Peninsula earthquake.
In addition to the toilet cars, Noto and other municipalities plan to send relief supplies, such as waste disposal bags for portable toilets and beverages, to Hikawa and Yatsushiro.
An official from Noto said, "Many people helped us during the Noto Peninsula earthquake as well. Wishing to be of help to the Kumamoto disaster areas, we decided to send the toilet cars and other items that we introduced last April."
(Photo: X capture, Yonhap News)
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