MASHIKI, Kumamoto -- A giant illustration featuring characters from the popular manga series "One Piece" has been installed at Kumamoto Airport in western Japan as part of a project to revive areas hit hard by the 2016 earthquakes.

The 5- by 18-meter mural showing some 50 characters from One Piece was unveiled at the airport in Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, on Dec. 2. As the manga's author Eiichiro Oda hails from the city of Kumamoto, the Kumamoto Prefectural Government tapped his characters in setting up the artwork as part of the quake recovery project.

During the unveiling ceremony held at Sorayoka Park, an outdoor area of the airport, Kumamoto Gov. Takashi Kimura vowed, "We aim to make this airport one that is open to the world, alongside the Straw Hat Pirates who sail around the globe," referring to the airport serving as the gateway to Kumamoto Prefecture.

Hiroyuki Nakano, editor in chief in charge of One Piece for the Shonen Jump weekly magazine that runs the manga series, said in a speech at the ceremony, "I believe this illustration, filled with a dynamic feeling and power, will be a new symbol of recovery."

The art piece, whose title roughly translates to "One hundred views of great pirates," was freshly rendered by the author to commemorate the 1,000th installment of the One Piece series.

(Japanese original by Keiko Yamaguchi, Kumamoto Bureau)