The real ONE PIECE pilgrimage is Kumamoto: the Straw Hat statues by rental car

Contents

1. Why the ONE PIECE statues are in Kumamoto
2. There are ten statues, not nine (as of August 2026)
3. The Luffy statue at the prefectural office is viewable around the clock
4. A two-day rental car route
5. Can you do it on public transport? An honest answer
6. Kumamoto beyond the statues: a trip about recovery
7. ONE PIECE outside Kumamoto
8. Practical notes
9. Frequently asked questions

Why the ONE PIECE statues are in Kumamoto

Creator Eiichiro Oda is from the city of Kumamoto. In April 2016 Kumamoto Prefecture was struck twice by earthquakes reaching the top of the Japanese intensity scale. The stone walls of Kumamoto Castle collapsed, and the main roads and bridges towards Aso were severed. To support the recovery, the prefecture, the creator, and Shueisha jointly launched the ONE PIECE Kumamoto Reconstruction Project.

On 30 November 2018 a statue of Luffy was installed on the promenade at the Kumamoto Prefectural Government Office. From that starting point, the rest of the statues were placed around the prefecture one by one through 2022. The locations chosen were municipalities that suffered the worst earthquake damage, and each character’s role in the story was matched to that community’s recovery theme.

So these are not advertising or tourism monuments. They are part of a reconstruction programme. Around the statues you will find earthquake memorial sites and roads and bridges that have only recently reopened. Knowing that changes what you see when you stand in front of them. More travellers are now combining this with our Kyushu tours.

There are ten statues, not nine (as of August 2026)

English-language sources often say nine. That reflects the period when the Straw Hat Crew numbered nine. In July 2022 a statue of Jinbe was installed in the city of Uto, bringing the total to ten. The Jinbe statue stands 1.8 metres tall, with its back to the sea.

Locations can change. The list above is accurate as of August 2026. Check Kumamoto Prefecture’s official tourism information before you go. In particular, a statue may be temporarily inaccessible if construction work is under way nearby.

The Luffy statue at the prefectural office is viewable around the clock

Of the ten, the Luffy statue is both the easiest to reach and the most symbolic. The address is 6-18-1 Suizenji, Chuo Ward, Kumamoto City, on the grounds of the prefectural government office.

• Getting there. It is about 6 minutes on foot from the Shiritsu Taiikukan-mae tram stop on the Kumamoto City Tram, or about 20 minutes by car from Kumamoto Station.
• When you can see it. The promenade is an outdoor avenue running past the office, so it can be seen at any hour. Early morning and evening are quieter and easier for photographs.
• Parking. On weekdays you can use the visitor parking structure at the prefectural office (north side 8:00 to 19:00, south side 8:30 to 19:00). Access is restricted on weekends and public holidays, so use a nearby pay car park.
• A weekday-only extra. During office hours the prefecture hands out Luffy statue cards and sells mini figures. The details change, so if you definitely want one, come on a weekday during the day.

The avenue itself is handsome, and in season the ginkgo trees turn. It would be a shame to look at the statue and leave.

A two-day rental car route

To see all ten, two days by rental car is the realistic minimum. Kumamoto Prefecture’s official tourism site suggests routes split into a western and an eastern half, and we have reworked that into something you can actually drive. Allow 10 to 15 minutes at each statue.

Day 1: around Kumamoto City and the Ariake Sea side (about 3 hours driving)

Day 1 covers short distances, so an afternoon start still works. Spend the morning at Kumamoto Castle and set off after lunch and you will still finish. Putting Jinbe last lines the visit up with the evening light over the Ariake Sea.

Day 2: towards Aso (about 2 hours 30 minutes driving)

Moe no Sato back to central Kumamoto is about 40 minutes. Day 2 runs along the outer crater rim of Aso, so the scenery itself becomes the point, not just the statues. If you are starting from Aso Kumamoto Airport, Ozu Town and the Zoro statue are only about 15 minutes away, so picking up your car at the airport and going straight into the day 2 route is efficient. We can also arrange airport transfers.

If you have time to spare, add Kusasenri-ga-hama, Daikanbo, and the New Aso Bridge, which opened in 2021, to day 2. Chase only the statues and you will drive straight past what Aso is actually about.

Can you do it on public transport? An honest answer

Straight to the point. Seeing all ten by public transport takes more than two full days and is not realistic.

• Reachable by tram and bus: Luffy and Chopper can both be done in half a day using the Kumamoto City tram and local buses. A one-day tram pass is around ¥500 for adults.
• Reachable by rail: Usopp is in front of Aso Station on the JR Hohi Line, and Franky is at Takamori Station on the Minamiaso Railway. Both are directly outside the station building, so you can drop in during a rail trip.
• Difficult by public transport: Robin (Minamiaso Village), Nami (Nishihara Village), and Brook (Mifune Town) are all far from the nearest station, with infrequent bus services. This is what breaks the itinerary.

In some years Sanko Bus runs a sightseeing bus tour of the statues. For 2026 the plan is to operate from January to September, at ¥23,000 for two days or ¥12,000 for a single day. Whether it runs at all, and its dates and prices, change from year to year. Once your travel dates are set, check that year’s arrangements. If you land in a period when it is not running, there is effectively no alternative to a rental car. We are happy to help with rental car arrangements.

Kumamoto beyond the statues: a trip about recovery

If you spend two days doing nothing but chasing the ten statues, you will go home without having seen Kumamoto. Here are places that fit naturally into the same route.

• Mugiwara Store Kumamoto sits on the sixth floor of Amu Plaza Kumamoto, connected to Kumamoto Station. It is the official ONE PIECE merchandise shop, and one of only two in Kyushu, the other being in Fukuoka. Stopping here at the end of the trip is the natural flow.
• At Kumamoto Castle, the interior of the keep reopened in 2021. Repairs to the stone walls are still under way, and you can look down on sections that remain collapsed from an elevated walkway. This is the best place to understand where the recovery currently stands.
• The Kumamoto Earthquake Museum KIOKU occupies the same site as the Robin statue. The fault line that broke the surface, and the damaged campus buildings, have been preserved as they were.
• The Aso landscape means Kusasenri-ga-hama, Daikanbo, and the New Aso Bridge, all within 30 minutes of the day 2 route.

ONE PIECE outside Kumamoto

Universal Studios Japan (Osaka)

USJ has run a seasonal ONE PIECE Premier Summer event most years. In 2026 it runs from 30 July to 19 November, with the ONE PIECE Premier Show staged in the WaterWorld arena, dining events at the restaurants, and a story ride. The Premier Show is priced separately from park admission, from ¥3,000 for adults and from ¥2,000 for children aged 4 to 11.

But the dates and content change from year to year. If you are coming to Japan in spring or winter, do not count on it. The reliable approach is to check USJ’s official announcements while you are still fixing your itinerary. Show tickets are popular and need to be secured on the day sales open.

Mugiwara Store (official merchandise shops)

Stock varies by store. The Shibuya flagship carries the widest range. And if you were planning to shop at the airport, be aware that airport souvenir shops carry almost no official ONE PIECE merchandise. Buy it in town.

Jump Shop

Shueisha’s official chain, carrying Weekly Shonen Jump titles including ONE PIECE. The Tokyo Station Ichibangai basement branch and Tokyo Dome City are the easiest to reach, and there are a dozen or so others nationwide. It is not as ONE PIECE focused as the Mugiwara Store, but it is convenient if you want to see other series at the same time.

Attractions that have already closed

We will be direct about this. Tokyo One Piece Tower closed on 31 July 2020. It was a permanent indoor theme park inside Foot Town at Tokyo Tower, and it lasted five years from its opening on 13 March 2015. The space is now an esports facility and has nothing to do with ONE PIECE.

English-language blogs and videos from the years it was open are still online exactly as they were. Every year, people read them and head for Tokyo Tower. There is nothing ONE PIECE related at Tokyo Tower today.

Beyond that, limited-run collaboration cafes and original artwork exhibitions are held frequently around the country, but none of them are permanent. The only way to know is to check once your travel dates are set.

Practical notes

• Driving licence: an International Driving Permit issued in Canada under the Geneva Convention is valid in Japan. Always carry your original Canadian licence and your passport with it.
• Aso in winter: the elevation is high and roads ice over from December through March. Book a vehicle specified with winter tyres for that period. The surcharge is typically around ¥1,000 per day.
• Parking: nearly all ten locations have parking. The only paid options are the Kumamoto City Zoo and Botanical Garden (¥200 on weekends) and pay car parks in central Kumamoto.
• Timing: 10 to 15 minutes per statue. The rhythm is photograph, then move on. Try to cram all ten into one day and you will spend close to six hours driving, with no time left for the scenery of Aso.
• Base: two nights in central Kumamoto is the most efficient setup. A one-way arrangement also works: fly in, start on the Aso side, and drop the car in Kumamoto City.

If you need help putting the route together or booking accommodation, get in touch through our contact page. Common questions are also collected in our FAQ.

Frequently asked questions