One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda keeps to himself when it comes to his private life and his work life. He doesn’t share information about his manga or the day-to-day happenings in his personal sphere. A married man, Oda did have a fairytale love story that was widely publicized years after he tied the knot with Chiaki Inaba.
Oda mentioned during Masashi Kishimoto’s wedding how the latter’s wife looked similar to Sakura. Similar to the Naruto creator, the One Piece writer also married a real-life version of a character from his manga. Eiichiro Oda’s first meeting with former model Chiaki Inaba was during a stage show in which she roleplayed Nami.
Nami is the first woman to join the Straw Hat Pirates. She is among the most popular characters because of her deceptiveness, cunning, and leadership qualities. There’s no question that Oda fell head over heels for a real-life Nami, especially since the short-hair Inaba was strikingly similar to the beautiful pre-time skip version of the character.
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One Piece Creator Met His Wife While She Was Playing The Role Of Nami
In 2003, the One Piece manga was at a high. VIZ Media had taken the responsibility to publish the English translation of the work into several volumes. Meanwhile, the Skypeia arc had been finished, gaining massive admiration from fans worldwide as Luffy saved Sky Island from Enel’s annihilation, and Japan was buzzing with the hype for the introduction of Blackbeard Pirates.
Chiaki Inaba, a former model and actress, was part of the One Piece hype. She participated in the JUMP FESTA 2004 which was held in December 2003 and played the role of Nami for the stage show titled ‘One Piece Spectacle Stage.’ It is there that Eiichiro Oda first met Inaba after which the two immediately struck a connection.
Oda and Inaba dated for almost a year before tying the knot on November 7, 2004. They have two daughters who were born in 2006 and 2009. Unfortunately, due to his rigorous work schedule that has led One Piece fans to be concerned about his health, Oda lives separately from his wife and children but manages to pay them a visit every week as noted by Fandom.
Long-distance relationships can be tough, Nonetheless, Chiaki Inaba and Eiichiro Oda are still married and the mangaka is about to deservedly get his rest, given that One Piece is entering its final phase two decades after its release. Oda is also the co-producer for the Netflix live-action series which is scheduled for a Season 2 release in 2024 or 2025.
Also Read: Eiichiro Oda Sketches Potential Concept Art for Chopper’s Appearance in One Piece Season 2
More About Eiichiro Oda’s Wife, Chiaki Inaba
Similar to her husband, not much is known about Chiaki Inaba. It is mentioned that Inaba lives with her daughter in a mansion in Nerima, Tokyo, which was bought by the family when their first daughter was born. The One Piece mangaka often takes his family on vacations abroad but strictly avoids the limelight.
Given that Chiaki Inaba was aged 25 when she first met Oda in the stage show, she is supposed to be aged 45 as of 2023. She is reportedly three years younger than her husband as he was born in January 1975. Meanwhile, her two daughters are now in their adulthood.
According to Verge, Eiichiro Oda had said in an interview that he had promised to take his wife and children on a world tour once One Piece had finished running. However, as fans excessively wanted more arcs and Oda continued to explore the backstory of multiple characters and introduced new ones, the manga has been running for a few more years.
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