Kumamoto Prefecture is paying tribute to local boy Eiichiro Oda, starting with a statue of his most famous creation.

The One Piece creator will once again get to see his work integrated into the revitalization of his home turf. The project is the third of its kind, with One Piece having assisted the town in various renovations since 2008. This new initiative will carry the theme of "Thanks."

The statue unveiling at the end of this month will be followed at a later date by the addition of oversized panels featuring the Straw Hat Pirates welcoming travelers to Kumamoto. So far, the plan is to display them at the entrance to the city, Kumamoto Airport, and Kumamoto Station. A "thank you movie" will also be created around that time. More plans, including events for fans, will be announced at a later date.

The Luffy statue will be unveiled at the city's Kencho Promenade, which leads up to the Kumamoto Prefectural Office, on November 30.

>> One Piece Kumamoto Reconstruction Project Website

>> Watch One Piece on Crunchyroll





Source: Anime! Anime!

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Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and interviewer with bylines at VRV, Sartorial Geek by Jordandene, We Are Cult, and many more. She is also the co-founder of Altrix Books and co-creator of the OEL light novel series Owl's Flower. Kara blogs at karadennison.com and tweets @RubyCosmos.