The Straw Hat Pirates are finally setting up shop in the United States. Toei Animation, working with Sony Group Corporation, has confirmed that ONE PIECE MUGIWARA STORE Los Angeles will open at Westfield Century City on November 6th, making it the first branch of the official One Piece merchandise chain in the country.
Toei announced the opening date through a press release and the official One Piece website two days ago, and the store's official X account followed up with the key details for fans planning a visit.
Reservations Open Today
If you want to be there for opening week, you will need to plan ahead. From November 6th through November 12th, entry to the store will be limited to guests who have booked a reservation through the official store website. Reservations open later today (October 22nd) at 6:00 PM Pacific Time.
Toei notes that the reservation-only period could change, so it is worth checking the official site before making the trip. Once that first week wraps up, the store will open to the public. The store's website cautions that "Walk-in guests may be accommodated based on store capacity and availability. Entry via the standby line is not guaranteed."
The shop is located on Level 2 of Westfield Century City at 10250 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles. Its regular hours are 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM Monday through Thursday, 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM on Friday and Saturday, and 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Sunday, in line with the mall's own hours.
LA-Exclusive Merchandise And A Talking Chopper
According to Toei, the Los Angeles location will carry exclusive goods that can only be found there, along with merchandise featuring original animation artwork. The store will also show original video content that can only be seen in-store, and the press release teases that fans might even get to meet Luffy and the crew during a visit.
One of the biggest draws is Surfer Chopper, a Los Angeles exclusive version of Tony Tony Chopper who will talk to shoppers as they browse. Wanted posters for various characters will also pop up around the store.
The store's X account has spent the past few months previewing the lineup. Highlights include Chopper Surf Club hoodies, mugs and tote bags, Surfer Chopper pins, an "I Love LA" tee and mug where the heart is actually the Op-Op Fruit, and a One Piece take on a California license plate magnet. The account also joked that the magnet will not make your car street legal.
Fans can also expect shirts and crewnecks featuring new key art of the Straw Hat crew drawn specifically for the store, art collection pieces built from original anime illustrations of characters like Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Law, Ace, Sabo and Yamato, and trading frame magnets featuring character settings from the anime's Elbaph Arc. Prices have not been announced yet.
Toei also plans to hand out a limited number of original commemorative shopping bags to celebrate the opening.
A Long Road To Century City
The Los Angeles store has been in the works for a while. The official account first revealed back in July that the Mugiwara Store was coming to the United States in the fall, sharing artwork of the Straw Hat crew created specifically for the location. A Straw Hat later appeared on a wall inside Westfield Century City, teasing what was coming and the store ran its own booth at ONE PIECE Fest in September.
Back home in Japan, the opening is being celebrated too. Starting November 6th, ten Mugiwara Store locations in Japan will hold a novelty giveaway fair to mark the launch of the Los Angeles branch.
One Piece Keeps Sailing
The timing makes sense for a franchise that shows no signs of slowing down. Eiichiro Oda's manga began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in July 1997, and the TV anime has been airing since 1999. The anime's new Elbaph Arc aired from April through September of this year, and the Mugiwara Store is bringing merchandise from that arc to Los Angeles.
For North American fans who have only been able to shop the Mugiwara Store on trips to Japan or at convention pop-ups, a permanent location in Southern California is a big step.
Are you planning to grab a reservation for opening week, or will you wait until the store opens to walk-in guests?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.