In what is perhaps the saddest news for One Piece fans since the death of Portgas D. Ace or the separation of the Straw Hat Crew, it has been announced that the One Piece Tower in Tokyo will be closing permanently.
The attraction, which opened in March 2015, will be closing its doors for good on 31 July 2020.
Here is the official statement provided by the Tower behind the closure of the attraction (via AnimeNewsNetwork):
After the state of emergency was lifted and various measures were taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infectious disease along with the Tokyo roadmap, we have carefully discussed and examined it before resuming business. We have determined that it will be difficult to continue providing services that satisfy all of you with the same quality as before, as well as the location of indoor facilities, and with the same quality.
Prior to its temporary (and soon to be permanent) closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the One Piece Tower would host live stage shows, stamp rallies, exhibitions and more for Eiichiro Oda’s famous manga series. There was also a cafe and restaurant for visitors to dine in, and a merchandise shop to purchase exclusive One Piece goodies.
Prior to its permanent closure on 31 July, One Piece Tower will open up its doors once more, with safety measures in place, to allow a limited number of guests to visit the attraction each day.
Unfortunately, this means fans of One Piece overseas will be unable to say goodbye to the tower one last time before it closes due to travel restrictions that are in place.
Germaine is a fun-sized introvert who loves nothing better than sleeping in on rainy days. She can be found reading fanfiction and manga while still waiting for her Hogwarts acceptance letter. It’ll come eventually.
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