Luffy Wears 'Kumamoto' T-shirt as 'One Piece' Creator Rallies Support for Hometown

Oda Donated a Large Sum a Decade Ago
Baseball Player Munetaka Murakami Also Expresses Support

A massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the western Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu on July 28, causing extensive loss of life and property. In response, famous individuals from Kumamoto, including Eiichiro Oda, the creator of the popular manga 'One Piece,' have stepped up to provide support.

The official account of One Piece on X (formerly Twitter) recently changed its profile image to show the main character, Luffy, wearing a T-shirt with the word 'KUMAMOTO' and the bear emblem that symbolizes the region.

Profile image of the official account of the cartoon 'One Piece.' Screenshot of the official X account

The creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, is originally from Kumamoto Prefecture. Following the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016 that claimed 270 lives, Oda actively participated in regional recovery efforts. Since then, he has been leading the 'One Piece–Kumamoto Revival Project' in collaboration with local governments in Kumamoto Prefecture. Since 2016, he has donated 800 million yen (approximately 7 billion won) to Kumamoto Prefecture. In appreciation for his contributions, the prefecture erected a statue of Luffy, the protagonist of 'One Piece,' in front of the prefectural office in 2018.

As fans of 'One Piece' from across Japan and abroad flocked to see this statue, Kumamoto Prefecture installed statues of characters from the manga in nine villages that had been severely affected by the quake. The growing popularity of pilgrimage tours to visit these statues has helped revitalize the local economy, according to local officials.

Oda has also been providing 'One Piece'-themed souvenirs and new illustrations as gifts to young adults from Kumamoto who have reached adulthood. Recognizing the achievements of 'One Piece,' which has set a Guinness World Record by selling 500 million copies globally, Kumamoto Prefecture honored Oda by presenting him with the 'Honorary Resident Award.'

Chicago White Sox Major League Baseball player Munetaka Murakami, who is also from Kumamoto Prefecture, offered words of comfort to residents affected by the recent earthquake. On July 29, after playing in a game against the New York Yankees, he stated, "At a time like this, I want to do my best to be of some support, even in a small way." During the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake, Murakami was a student living in his hometown and directly experienced the intensity 7 quake. He later participated in fundraising initiatives for the restoration of Kumamoto Castle.

Although not from the region, Yoshiki, the renowned drummer and former leader of the Japanese rock band X Japan, donated 10 million yen (around 8.8 million won) to support victims of the Kumamoto earthquake. Additionally, the Office of the President of Taiwan announced that President Lai Ching-te, in his personal capacity, donated 200,000 New Taiwan dollars (approximately 886,000 won) for Kumamoto earthquake relief. Shortly after the earthquake occurred on July 28, President Lai posted messages in Chinese and Japanese on his X account, stating, "Taiwan and Japan are true friends who share hardships, and Taiwan is always ready to offer help."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.