Ube City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, holds a special place in anime history as the hometown of Hideaki Anno, the visionary director behind Neon Genesis Evangelion. For five consecutive years, the city has embraced its connection to the iconic franchise with the "Evangelion City" (まちじゅうエヴァンゲリオン) project. A couple of years back, they even installed a massive 7-meter "Spear of Longinus" in Tokiwa Park, drawing countless fans on pilgrimage.
Now, as the "Evangelion City" project celebrates its fifth anniversary, get ready for its biggest highlight yet: a colossal "Evangelion Unit-01 Hand" sculpture! This epic piece is set to make its grand debut at an unveiling ceremony on November 20, 2025.
The "Unit-01 Hand" sculpture was the winning entry from a nationwide design competition, conceptualized around "That thing quietly sitting in the center of Ube in the final episode." It depicts Unit-01's hand dramatically emerging from the ground, as if "reaching out" from the earth itself. Adding a delightful detail, Shinji's S-DAT player is nestled within the hand. Come nightfall, when bathed in yellow light, the sculpture will evoke the unforgettable awakening scene of Unit-01 from "Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance."
Once again, this ambitious project is being brought to life by Ube Steel, a local company renowned for its advanced casting technology. Their previous work on the 7-meter Spear of Longinus earned widespread acclaim, and the city is collaborating with them again to ensure this award-winning design is perfectly realized for all visitors to marvel at.
▼ The 7-meter Spear of Longinus, unveiled in October 2023.
It's truly impressive how Japanese anime IPs and local governments consistently team up for such spectacular collaborations. We can't wait to see the final masterpiece!