Photo/Illutration Keiji Shinozaki, mayor of Ube, Yamaguchi Prefecture, presents a plan for the “Machiju Voice AR” program at the city hall on Aug. 22. (Kazuya Omuro)

UBE, Yamaguchi Prefecture—This city on the Seto Inland Sea will soon open a third phase of a promotional campaign themed on the popular “Evangelion” anime franchise created by hometown hero Hideaki Anno.

The city hopes the latest in the “Machiju Evangelion” (Evangelion citywide) campaign, which runs from Oct. 6 through Jan. 8, will attract visitors from around Japan and overseas.

It will include a new program called “Machiju Voice AR” (Voice augmented reality citywide), featuring Evangelion-themed devices installed at around 10 spots in the city, including Yamaguchi Ube Airport and Tokiwa Park.

Holding a smartphone above the devices will prompt an audio guide of the site in the voice of Misato Katsuragi, an Evangelion character.

The city government kicked off the Machiju Evangelion campaign in 2021 to commemorate the centenary of Ube’s city status. In that year, “Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time,” the latest work in the franchise, was released.

Anno was chief director of the film, which earned more than 10 billion yen ($69 million) in box-office revenue.

The second round of the campaign was held last year.

For the third phase, a local business is using waste material to make a more than 7-meter-long replica of the Spear of Longinus, a tool that appears in Evangelion, for installment at Tokiwa Park’s Sculpture Hill, officials said.

Around 40 establishments will participate in a Machiju Evangelion Gourmet Fair, providing meals, drinks and other Evangelion-themed products made from local ingredients and other materials.

A stamp-collecting program will cover stations and other facilities along the JR Ube and Onoda lines.

Making the rounds and collecting points on a smartphone app will give subscribers a chance to win, via lottery, an Evangelion-themed key holder designed like a station name board and other prizes.

Existing Evangelion-inspired decorations at the airport, including flags and a design of the central staircase, will be renewed.

Promotional activities will be held on “Let’s Go! Japan,” a website on tourism in Japan, and other platforms for people in Taiwan, where there are many fans of Anno and Evangelion.

Ube Mayor Keiji Shinozaki told a news conference on Aug. 22 that he is eager to promote the third stage of the campaign, citing a growing number of tourists visiting Japan.

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