Kumamoto City is a must-visit spot for any diehard fan of the manga One Piece! Starting with the unveiling of a statue of the main character Monkey D. Luffy in 2018 in front of the Kumamoto Prefectural Offices, a total of 9 statues of the members of the One Piece Straw Hat Pirates have been installed at locations all throughout Kumamoto Prefecture. A new statue for Jinbe is scheduled to be unveiled in the summer of 2022. You can find two statues in Kumamoto City: Luffy at the Kumamoto Prefectural Offices and Chopper at the Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens.

Pro tip: Visit Luffy in November and December to catch the gingko trees as their leaves change color.

Luffy under the fall ginkgo leaves
Luffy under the fall ginkgo leaves
Chopper at the Zoo
Chopper at the Zoo

Locations:

Monkey D. Luffy – in front of main entrance to Kumamoto Prefectural Offices (Address: Suizenji 6-18-1, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City). Accessible by bus (get off at Kumamoto Kencho-mae) or tram (get off at Shiritsutaiikukan-mae and walk about 10 minutes).

Tony Tony Chopper – in front of main entrance to Kumamoto City Zoological and Botanical Gardens (Address: Kengun 5-14-2, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City). Accessible by bus (get off at Doshokubutsuen-mae or Doshokubutuen Nishi-guchi) or by tram (get off at Zoological and Botanical Gardens and walk about 10 minutes).

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