TOKYO >> Monkey D. Luffy, Roro­noa Zoro, Nami and other characters from the popular Japanese series “One Piece” are no longer limited to manga and anime. Now the “real” characters welcome visitors to Tokyo Tower, where they sing and dance onstage.

Tokyo One Piece Tower is a theme park dedicated to Eiichiro Oda’s creation, with the aim of cashing in on its popularity both at home and abroad. The world of “One Piece” has been re-created, set on Tongari Island, which is a new base for Luffy and his Straw Hat Crew members. There are 20-minute live performances by actors playing the characters, as well as other attractions, shops and restaurants.

“One Piece” has been serialized since 1997 in the Shukan Shonen Jump weekly manga magazine. It has also become a media franchise with a TV anime and films.

“One Piece” follows the adventures and many battles of Luffy, a young man who aspires to become a pirate king by using his special powers. The work features lots of distinctive characters, both among the hero’s allies and his enemies.

According to Shueisha Inc., the magazine’s publisher, the 85th volume of “One Piece” in comic book form was recently published, and all copies of the series printed in Japan so far have exceeded 350 million. There have been at least 66 million translated copies printed in more than 42 countries and territories, mainly in the West and Asia. The anime has been broadcast in more than 40 countries and territories.

Tokyo One Piece Tower opened in March 2015 at the iconic structure in the nation’s capital.

“We believed we could take on the demand created by a permanent facility, where fans can come anytime to have fun, rather than (visit) a temporary event,” said a spokeswoman.

To mark the 20th anniversary of the serialization of “One Piece,” an original character created under Oda’s supervision was added to the live show. A special exhibition is also underway, featuring reproductions of Oda’s original drawings of series highlights, such as Luffy’s first encounters with his crew members, displayed with new illustrations the “mangaka” drew for the event.

At the facility, staff members who can speak foreign languages are always available. The badges they wear indicate the languages they can speak.

Erjol Muarem, a staff member from Albania, wears two badges — for English and Korean. “I can also speak some Italian; I watched the ‘One Piece’ anime in Italian in my homeland,” he said. “I can speak a little Japanese, too.”

The Albanian said the best thing about “One Piece” is its thrilling episodes and various distinctive characters.

“I really enjoy talking with visitors,” he said. “I look forward to coming to the tower on the mornings of my workdays.”

The theme park does not make public the number of visitors it receives, but as many as 6,000 people are said to visit on some days.