Wait, You Can Really Ride ‘One Piece’s Thousand Sunny In Real Life?

If you are a fan of One Piece, then you have surely wondered what it would be like to steer the Thousand Sunny. The ship has become one of the franchise’s most iconic images, and Monkey D. Luffy loves the ship slightly more than his millions of fans. So, if you do want to climb aboard the pirate vessel, then you need to head to Japan.

After all, the Thousand Sunny is docked down in Nagasaki.

If you didn’t know, Japan houses a real-life version of the Thousand Sunny. The 1:1 scale model can be found in Nagaski upon the western island of Kyushu. The prefecture hosts a special theme part called Huis Ten Bosch, and it is there that One Piece fans can visit the Straw Hat crew’s actual ship.

As you can see above, the ship is just as cute as you’d expect. The replica is painstakingly detailed according to Eiichiro Oda’s designs, and the ship is not the only one docked at the theme park. Huis Ten Bosch also has replicas of Ace’s and Mihawk’s ship along with a massive Pacifista model. Walking down to the park’s dock is meant to make attendees feel like they’ve stepped into the world of One Piece, and it certainly succeeds.

While the theme park does rotate the Thousand Sunny around its schedule, fans can experience a true One Piece adventure when the boat is open. Cruises are offered on the ship on special occasions, and stage shows based on One Piece also call the boat home. Once you enter the attraction, fans will find a gift shop along with the Straw Hat pirates themselves. Tony Tony Chopper, Usopp, Sanji, Nami, Robin, Zoro, Franky, Luffy, and Brook all have life-sized models on the ship.

If you are not familiar with the Thousand Sunny, then you should know the ship is not the first one Luffy had under his command. The Straw Hat pirates originally set sail on the Going Merry, but the ship was ultimately given a burial at sea after it sustained too much damage. After the ship was laid to rest, Franky decided to realize his lifelong dream of building a ship, and the Thousand Sunny was the result of the shipwright’s hard work.

So, how much do you want to go ride the Thousand Sunny? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things anime!