A statue of Evangelion Unit-01 will appear temporarily at Ami Premium Outlets in Ibaraki, Japan. Its appearance will help celebrate the release of the long-awaited movie, Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time. [Thanks, Hobby Watch!]
A collaboration event titled “Ami Premium Outlets Supplementation Plan” will place Evangelion-related content inside the American West Coast-style Japanese shopping center. It will begin on March 8, 2021 — the same day the fourth Rebuild of Evangelion movie airs in Japan — and end on May 31, 2021.
A 3 meter-tall statue of Shinji Ikari’s Evangelion Unit-01 will be displayed for the duration of the event. The shopping center will also have a Longinus Spear on display. Ami Premium Outlets encourages visitors to take photos with the statues once the collaboration begins. The complex also plans to host a photo contest on Instagram. Winners will be awarded shopping vouchers or original merchandise. As the complex is also located near the 120 meter-tall Ushiku Buddha statue, visitors will be able to take a photo containing both the Evangelion and Buddha statues.
More Evangelion-related merchandise appeared in recent days to mark the launch of Evangelion 3.0+1.0. A new Mechatro WeGo collaboration set containing an EVA Unit-02-colored model kit with a Nichijou style Asuka Langley figurine is now available in Japan. Sunglasses and frames inspired by Evangelion Units 01 and 02 will also appear in October 2021.
The fourth film in the Rebuild of Evangelion series, Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time, will premiere in Japanese theaters on March 8, 2021.