'One Piece is meaningful to me': Excited fans queue hours ahead as Mugiwara Store opens in Jewel Changi Airport

Thirty-two-year-old Connie arrived at Jewel Changi Airport at 7am today (Sept 12) — but it's not because she's catching a flight. 

Decked out in One Piece merchandise, the long-time fan was first in line for the Mugiwara Store's opening at 10am — first announced last week by Singapore-based company Omnisekai.

Connie, who works in F&B, told AsiaOne that she has been following the series since the Covid-19 pandemic.

"[One Piece] is meaningful to me. In my sad times, I'm very motivated by the characters and how they always pick themselves up even when they're down," she explained. 

"I've been obsessed ever since," she said, adding that she's "super excited" about the store's launch in Singapore. "I hope that this will bring more people to love One Piece."

Another superfan, who declined to be named, told AsiaOne that she had skipped work to attend the opening. She had arrived at the store as early as 6.30am, but "lost her spot" as she went to get breakfast. 

"I've been to every Mugiwara Store in Japan," she said, adding that she tries to visit Japan every year just to attend One Piece events. 

"My friend and I actually did a pilgrimage to Kumamoto to see all 10 statues," she added. 

For context, Kumamoto is a prefecture in Japan that houses the One Piece Trail — a collection of One Piece-themed statues scattered across the region. 

She shared that, as a fan of the series, she has spent possibly "enough for a down payment of a house". 

"One Piece means a lot of things to me. Loyalty, friendship, perseverance and freedom especially," she added, sharing that has been a loyal follower of the series since it aired on the now-defunct broadcasting channel Kids Central back in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

On the topic of friendships, One Piece seems to have sparked some lasting bonds.

Arvin and Michael — both 26-year-old students at Nanyang Technological University — are the perfect example of a friendship that formed out of a shared love for the popular long-running series. 

The pair — who started queueing an hour before the store's opening — told AsiaOne that they have both been following the anime since primary school. 

They actively follow One Piece events in Singapore and have been to all the Jump Shops, which are licensed manga stores and pop-ups that sell official manga and anime merchandise.

"[One Piece] is something that really connected me to a lot of my friends. It's a story that can unite a lot of people," said Michael.

"That's actually how we became close friends, because we both watch One Piece," added Arvin, explaining that the pair "hit it off" as they were both fans when they first met in polytechnic. 

What to expect 

So, what can visitors expect at the first Mugiwara Store in Singapore?

Upon stepping into the store, fans will notice that the retail space features an immersive design inspired by the Egghead Arc in the One Piece series. 

For those who aren't familiar, the Egghead Arc refers to the 32nd story arc of the series. 

Customers will also find photo spots around the store, including the iconic 'Wanted' poster, as well as a portable photo booth.

The photo booth is available until Sept 30, and is Egghead Arc-themed.

There are three photo strip designs to choose from, and a set of two strips costs $10. 

And of course, the Mugiwara Store carries a variety of official One Piece merchandise including soft toys, accessories, figurines, stationery, apparel and more. 

For Lego fans, there are also Lego and One Piece collections for sale. 

Exclusive launch novelties and limited-time offers are available during opening week — such as a limited-edition Harajuku Chopper figurine ($120), with only 20 pieces in stock. 

It sold out within five minutes, though a spokesperson for the Mugiwara Store told AsiaOne that they plan on restocking the figurine, but the quantity has not been decided as of time of writing. 

Other promotions include: a free Collection card with every $80 spent on in-store merchandise and complimentary Egghead Arc-themed tattoo stickers for all customers until Sept 14. 

There is also a TCG (trading card game) giveaway — where fans can receive a free TCG pack by shopping at the store, following them on Instagram and sharing a story tagging their Instagram handle. 

The giveaway will run until Sept 30, while stocks last.

Speaking with AsiaOne, Alston Lee, Southeast Asia's head of the licensing department at Toei Animation (the studio behind the One Piece anime), said that they are keen on expanding the brand in Singapore, though there are no concrete plans yet. 

"It depends on the location and local operator [with] how we can explore the market. Definitely, there will be chances to open more stores in Singapore," he said. 

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carol.ong@asiaone.com