Interest

One Piece Ship Has Minor Collision with Pier

The replica of the One Piece manga's Thousand Sunny pirate ship at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in the southwestern Japanese city of Sasebo had a minor collision with a pier on Monday. The 121 passengers on the ship were not hurt. A section of the ship's hull was dented, although this did not hinder the navigation of the ship. The ship resumed its operations on Wednesday.

At the time of the accident, the park reported the incident to the Kyushu Transportation Department, but the Kyushu Transportation Department's report to the Sasebo Coast Guard Office was delayed due to a storm warning in the northern part of the prefecture.

As of July 8, 100,000 people have ridden on the Thousand Sunny replica ship at the park.

The replica pirate ship opened for short cruises at the theme park in April. It measures 30 meters (about 100 feet) long and weighs 430 tons. The ship can hold 250 people at a time as it floats in the water; the park is on Hario Island on the coast of Omura Bay. Visitors can watch the ship's GAON Cannon "fire" and pose for photos with statues of the Straw Hat Pirates on the ship's deck. They can also relax at the onboard aquarium bar and view the ship's signature soldier-dock system and other recreated details.

Each of the ship's seven daily cruises lasts about 20 minutes as the ship travels along the coast of Omura Bay. The ship is a part of the park's larger One Piece attraction area, which includes a restaurant and a shop.

Universal Studios Japan is also currently hosting a "One Piece Premier Summer" event that includes "Sanji's Pirate Restaurant," musical performances by One Piece character Brook, promotional goods sales, an "Adventure Rally," monuments built for two One Piece heroes, and a commemorative photo opportunity with One Piece's Straw Hat Pirate crew.

Source: Asahi Shimbun

Image © Eiichiro Oda/Shueisha, Fuji TV, Toei Animation
© Huis Ten Bosch Co., Ltd.