Peripherals in Odaiba Joypolis

First, since this is my first post, I would like to briefly explain why I am blogging on One Piece. Ever since middle school, I have been a super huge fan of One Piece, and after I came to Japan, I am constantly shocked to see the peripheral products everywhere. Even when I went to a waterfall in Nikkou, where you need to take an elevator down to B80 something floor, or when I went up to a mountain near the Fujisan area on a cable car, or even when I went to the indoor amusement park, Joypolis, in Odaiba, I am confident enough to say perhaps 80% of the Japanese population have at least heard of, if not read, One Piece. I want to explore why it is and has been so popular for so long, perhaps the No.1 hit on Shonen Jump right now.

Also, I also intend to explore One Piece influence overseas. In Asia, it seems to be a very big deal, along with Naruto. However, whereas most Japanese people would agree that Naruto has become a bit bored and favor One Piece more, it is certainly not the case in USA, or at least LA, where I lived in for two years before coming to Japan.

In the first few posts, I will discuss about One Piece in Japan, and in the later ones, the discussion will move onto One Piece in USA,

Taiwan and Hong Kong.

This is the indoor amusement park Joypolis in Odaiba. The place is owned (or partially) by SEGA, and I have no idea how SEGA has

Jump, but there is a whole shop dedicated to One Piece in

￥500. People normally don't know how much they are. In fact, when I bought one for the X'mas gift exchange event of my circle, the recipient looked so down because "it is only a freaking sticker." there. Out of all the Jump manga, why One Piece, but not Naruto or Bleach or any other? Clearly, different from in the States, One Piece is way more influential than any other Jump manga. Displayed here is a bunch of One Piece stickers that you can stick onto a phone, PC, ipod, any electronic system or anywhere you like. Don't underestimate these, they each cost at least ￥500.

Here are some cellphone straps

displayed in the photo. I am not quite

sure what the thing on the right is, but it certainly looks like some kind of decoration, too; maybe something to hang on a backpack.

If I can only pick one thing that makes One Piece way more successful than all the other manga/anime these few years, it has to the character design. Each and every one of Luffy's crew memb

ers look very different and have very distinguishable personality. This provide reader to easily find a character that is perhaps

similar to oneself.

Basically, in the crew, you can basically get all the kind of characters

you want. There is a stupid but always-optimistic captain, a cool and macho swordsman, a lady's man cook, a wimp sniper, a sly and sexy navigator, a mature and elegant archaeologist, a cute pet, a comedian robot and a musically-talented skeleton. The characters all have such obvious trait and habits that are very different from those of the others, so for those fans who love doing fan art, the characters provide them with such a great medium to exploit on.

Look! They were even selling chocolate crunches!

All pictures taken by myself.