INDEX
Tracing the Creative Journey: A Treasure Trove of Process
Eventually, visitors arrive at an oval exhibition space loosely encircled by “The Wall.” This immersive experience, surrounded by ONE PIECE on all sides, is truly overwhelming. The rhythm of over 1,000 serialized chapters becomes tangible, allowing us to grasp the sheer scope of the author’s unyielding routine. Daisuke Kusakari, producer at PLAY!, mentioned that it’s interesting to observe how frequently the iconic “Don!” sound effect appears in the series. Following the variations of “Don! Don! Dodon!” every few pages creates a strange, exhilarating rhythm—like listening to a musical beat.
Throughout the venue, display cases styled as treasure chests serve as light boxes. These “treasure chests” lead visitors on a reverse journey through the production stages as they progress from the exhibition entrance toward the end. Starting with the finished comic books as they reach readers, the journey moves backward to the pre-trimmed double-book sheets (referred to by Okamoto as “Two-Piece” rather than One Piece), incredibly intricate color proofs, the resin plates used for letterpress rotary printing of Weekly Shonen Jump, and even the original film used to create these plates.
The more you learn about each detail, the more fascinating it becomes, yet there’s no need to understand every process down to the mechanics. What truly matters is feeling the intensity and depth that lies within.
The exhibition highlights the milestones of One Piece‘s 1000th chapter and 100th volume. However, some of the printing techniques used back in 2021, when the 1000th chapter was published, have already been replaced by newer technology as of 2024. In today’s Weekly Shonen Jump, for example, the yellow resin plates and production films featured in the exhibit are no longer used. Such is the nature of technology; what was mainstream just recently can disappear astonishingly quickly. This exhibition might also serve as a way to recognize and remember those now-retired methods.
