"One Piece" Creator Cheers on Kumamoto Again Following Major Earthquake

Following a magnitude 7.1 strong earthquake that struck on the 28th, causing massive casualties and property damage in and around Kumamoto Prefecture in western Kyushu, Japan, various sectors have stepped up to offer physical and emotional support.

Of particular note is that the creator of the popular Japanese manga series "One Piece" has stepped in to provide assistance.

It was learned on the 30th 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 text "KUMAMOTO" and a bear design symbolizing the prefecture.

Eiichiro Oda, the original author of "One Piece," is a native of Kumamoto Prefecture and previously threw himself into regional revival projects following the Kumamoto earthquake that claimed about 270 lives a decade ago. It is interpreted that he has once again sent a message of support to his earthquake-stricken hometown.

Author Oda has been running the "One Piece Kumamoto Reconstruction Project" in cooperation with local governments in Kumamoto Prefecture since the 2016 earthquake.

He donated 800 million yen (approx. 7 billion won) to Kumamoto Prefecture after 2016, and in response, the prefecture erected a statue of the main protagonist Luffy in front of the prefectural office building in 2018.

As fans of "One Piece" from 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 villages that suffered heavy earthquake damage.

It is evaluated that these statues have helped boost regional tourism revenue, growing so popular that a pilgrimage tour to visit them has emerged.

Author Oda also engages in activities such as presenting "One Piece"-related souvenirs and new illustrations to young adults celebrating coming-of-age in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Kumamoto Prefecture even presented the "Honorary Prefectural Citizen Award" to Oda, the author of "One Piece," which holds a Guinness World Record for the world's most copies sold at nearly 500 million.

Aside from the "One Piece" author, Munetaka Murakami, a Japanese slugger and baseball player active for the Chicago White Sox in Major League Baseball, is also a native of Kumamoto Prefecture and expressed deep affection for residents affected by the earthquake.

Playing in the game against the New York Yankees held on the 29th following the recent strong earthquake, he said, "This is precisely the time when I want to try to be of even a little help."

Having personally experienced the level 7 seismic intensity while living in his hometown as a student during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, he subsequently made a donation for the restoration of Kumamoto Castle.

Yoshiki, a drummer and leader of the famous Japanese rock band X Japan, is not from this region, but expressed his support for disaster recovery by donating 10 million yen (approx. 88 million won) for the earthquake damage in Kumamoto Prefecture.

In addition, the Presidential Office of Taiwan stated that President Lai Ching-te donated 200,000 New Taiwan dollars (approx. 8.86 million won) in a personal capacity to support earthquake relief in Kumamoto.

Right after the earthquake occurred, President Lai offered condolences in a message posted in Chinese and Japanese on his X (formerly Twitter) account on the 28th, stating, "Taiwan and Japan are true friends who share hardships, and Taiwan is always ready to provide assistance."

Regions that have suffered major earthquakes in the past also stepped up to provide support out of a sense of shared sympathy.

NHK reported that Noto town and Wajima city in Ishikawa Prefecture, which experienced the Noto Peninsula earthquake that claimed hundreds of lives in January 2024, sent "toilet cars" equipped with two flush toilets in truck cargo beds to Hikawa town in Kumamoto Prefecture on the 30th.

It is known that Hikawa town had a connection of support by providing tatami mats to be laid on the floors of local shelters during the Noto Peninsula earthquake.

Noto town and others plan to send relief supplies such as waste disposal bags for portable toilets and drinks to Hikawa town and Yatsushiro city in addition to the toilet cars.

An official from Noto town said, "Many people helped us during the Noto Peninsula earthquake. With the desire to be of help to the Kumamoto disaster area as well, we decided to send the toilet cars and other items that we introduced last April."

(Photo: Captured from X, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.