2024 was an unparalleled year for opportunities to see live Yamato performances with concerts springing up in record numbers. There were also three CD releases, which can be found on the 2024 Products page.
January 28: Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra concert
The Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra delivered the first concert of the 50th year at Kurume City Plaza in the southern prefecture of Fukuoka. Their playlist included selections from NHK historical dramas, Galaxy Express 999, and Hiroshi Miyagawa’s 4-part Yamato suite.
The photo at right was posted on Twitter by concert bass player Araki Takuto, who said, “After the performance, with concertmaster Keiichi Asago [right]. Not only was I able to play some of my favorite songs, including Space Battleship Yamato, but it was also great to learn that there are many bands in rural areas that enjoy the music I love, regardless of whether they are professionals or amateurs.”
Visit the orchestra’s Twitter page here and see a Yamato rehearsal video here
February 4: Soleil Pipe Organ Concert
Wherever Yuka Ishimaru goes, Gatlantis is sure to follow. She shook the world again with a pipe organ rendition of the Comet Empire theme, this time in Kitakyushi City’s Soleil Hall.
Watch a 2021 performance by Yuka Ishimaru here
February 11: Filmscore concert
Another cool thing about Japan (like we needed one more) is the Film Score Philharmonic Orchestra, which is entirely devoted to performing music from movie and anime soundtracks. They belted out an all-anime concert on February 11 at the Muza Symphony Hall in Kawasaki in which Space Battleship Yamato was heard alongside many other classics, new and old.
Visit their website (which includes video clips) here
February 16: Music history
Starting in July 2023, music journalist and producer Toshiaki Sato devoted his monthly column (titled Adult Popular Songs) to famed songwriter Yu Aku. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, he was the lyricist for almost every Yamato song of the production years, from the original opening theme in 1974 all the way to last of the Final Yamato single in 1983.
Sato’s 7th installment of Adult Popular Songs, which is published on the Catalog House website, reached the Yamato phase of Yu Aku’s long and storied career.
Read it here
February 23: Yamato theme sheet music for alto sax and piano
Winds Score WMS-00012
Winds Score has been a very prolific publisher of Yamato sheet music since 2007.
Visit the Winds Score website’s Yamato page here
Listen to a sample recording on Youtube here
Conductor Tatsuya Shimono, Composer Kentaro Haneda
March 27: Mikiki article
When a 2023 performance of the Grand Symphony was released on CD, it was followed by a new analysis that appeared on Mikiki, the website of Tower Records.
40 years after the premiere – Tatsuya Shimono opens a new world of Yamato
by Takuya Katagiri (See the original post here)
First of all, on a personal note, Space Battleship Yamato was broadcast on TV the year I was preparing to take the university entrance exam. I didn’t watch it at the time, but later in life, when I became involved with an animation magazine and was assigned to interview the producers, I reviewed the TV series, the movie version, etc.
The first TV series was broadcast in 1974. The idea of sending the giant battleship Yamato into space captured the hearts of the young people of that time. Each of the characters in the series had their own fans. “Push-activism” had already begun. As you all know, Yamato was made into many movies and created a huge trend of SF anime in Japan.
The music was composed by Hiroshi Miyagawa (1931-2006). In 1984, the Yamato Grand Symphony was written by Kentaro Haneda (1949-2007) and performed by the NHK Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Naoto Otomo. This masterpiece was based on various themes Miyagawa wrote for Yamato and was performed again and again by Haneda, who was also known as a genius composer and arranger.
This new recording is a live performance from July 2023, conducted by Tatsuya Shimono, who has been discovering works by Japanese composers and featuring them in his concerts. It is performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra with Fumiaki Miura (violin) and Ryoma Takagi (piano) as soloists who play important roles, plus Ayaka Oki (vocalist). This is the first time a recording other than those conducted by Otomo has been released.
The fourth movement, Hope for Tomorrow, is a doppelconcerto (double concerto), a powerful work in which the soloists can demonstrate their abilities to the fullest. I feel that the passionate battle between the two soloists, combined with the passion of conductor Shimono, opens up a new world of Yamato in this recording. This is a work that should be listened to not only by older fans, but also by the current generation of anime enthusiasts.
April 7: Family Concert ~ Addicted to Brass, Kobe City
This event was sponsored by the Kobe City PTA Council featuring Akira Miyagawa conducting the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra at Kobe Bunka Hall. And wherever Akira goes, he brings Yamato along for the ride. The set for this performance added the 4-part Yamato Suite to a host of other Miyagawa favorites.
April 29: Isao Sasaki on TV
2024 was Isao Sasaki’s 65th year as a professional singer, and he still hadn’t retired yet. April ended with Sasaki appearing on the 553rd episode of Premium Songs and performing the Yamato theme, Galaxy Express 999, an Elvis medley, and more.
May 3: Star Blazing cover album
BKM Records (BSXDG9176)
What on Earth do we have here? An American CD with Japanese Yamato themes on it, that’s what. Here’s the scoop: Bukimisha is a choral group that covers compositions from live-action kaiju films and other sources. They teamed up with baritone singer Tetsuro Kitamura on two tracks of this 14-track tour de force. The other 12 tracks came directly from Kitamura’s 2021 album Departing Ship. The vocal performances are in Japanese with piano accompaniment, and cover every song originally sung by Isao Sasaki for the classic catalog. The liner notes book is in English and contains a remarkably accurate description of Yamato/Star Blazers history; whoever wrote it knew their stuff!
Hear Tetsuro Kitamura’s rendition of The Scarlet Scarf here.
You can purchase this album on Apple Music now, and buy the CD online (along with other Bukimisha discs) here.
May 19: Isao Sasaki on TV
A spry, energetic, freshly-82-year-old Isao Sasaki made another broadcast appearance, and sang exactly what the fans wanted to hear. Here’s a description from entertainment website Iza…
Fans are moved by Isao Sasaki’s live singing of Space Battleship Yamato!
Singer and voice actor Isao Sasaki appeared live as a guest on NHK’s Nodo Jiman broadcast on the 19th. At the end of the show, he entertained his fans when he enthusiastically sang his signature song, the theme for the anime Space Battleship Yamato.”
Sasaki appeared on the live broadcast from Kashima City, Saga Prefecture, with enka singer Fuyumi Sakamoto. Born on May 16, 1942, he had just celebrated his 82nd birthday three days earlier, but he sang the full chorus with a voice that didn’t make him seem his age. The powerful performance surprised many viewers, and after the broadcast, “Isao Sasaki” trended on Twitter.
Fans commented, “The great king of anime songs is on Nodo Jiman.”
“I was shocked by his powerful singing voice, I can’t believe he’s 82!”
“His voice is the same as always, and I can only say that it’s amazing.”
“Cool! I got goosebumps.”
“I’m so excited.”
“It’s been 50 years since this song was released. I was so moved I started crying.”
“I hope he stays healthy forever.”
Comments like these were posted one after another, creating great excitement.
May 24: Isao Sasaki profile
Propelled by Sasaki’s May 19 TV performance, a blogger named Mieko decided to dig up some history and unearthed quite a bit that should be new to his international fans.
Read Mieko’s blog entry here
Rehearsal photos posted on Twitter by Oyama Shikyo
June 2: Concert in Oyama
The 2024 Award for Extreme Cleverness (which wasn’t a thing before, but it is now) goes to the Oyama City Symphonic Wind Orchestra, who came up with a flawless title for their 44th concert, half of which was filled with Yamato music. Soprano Akiko Nishiguchi contributed vocals. Above and beyond this, the event was packaged up in ways that earned instant fan approval.
Photos posted on Twitter by Miyuki0107 and aoi2199
It started with very deliberate color choices on the ticket and banner…
Photos posted on Twitter by AnalyzerAU09 and aoi2199
…and continued with same for their program book. Twitter comments were as follows:
“Both the tickets and signs are in Yamato colors, which really conveys the enthusiasm of the band members.” – Miyuki0107
“This ticket, this pamphlet, this lobby, our friends are in every corner, how can we not be excited?” – AnalyzerAU09
“In the second part, suites and other Yamato-related songs were performed. I’m from the Yamato generation, so I was super excited. Kodai-kun! Yuki! The Gamilas fleet! Starsha! The images came back to life with the music, and it made me want to watch the anime again.” – rdk_iroha
“It was a warm concert with a homey, handmade feel. It’s very helpful that the song titles and other information were displayed on a monitor on the right side of the stage. During the drum solo, the message ‘congratulations on your marriage’ was displayed to the drummer, which is nice. In the second part, famous pieces from Yamato were played one after another. It was also fun to hear the host tell stories and introduce the pieces. The first encore song was the theme for Yamato (only the first verse) followed by a male choir (4 people) and Nishiguchi’s scat. The audience clapped and sang along.” – aoi2199
June 8: Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra 155th concert
This concert was not the first of its kind; under the baton of Akira Miyagawa, Osaka Shion has played Yamato music enough times for the orchestra to have favorite tracks. But there was something special about this one. Could it have been the presence of Isao Sasaki to sing the classic theme songs? Could it have been the sight of Akira and his daughter playing the White Comet theme on pipe organ (which, if you know your history, carries special meaning)? Could it have been the simple fact that it was the first official 50th anniversary concert? Probably all of this and more.
It was certainly the most viewed concert in years, given that it was live-streamed to anyone who could pay to watch it online in Japan (and outside, if you had the digital kung fu skills to tap in), and it was the subject of more SM posts than just about any Yamato concert of the last ten years.
Click here to read all about it!
photo posted on Twitter by sokuhou_music
June 18: Isao Sasaki on TV
Still out there, still lit at 82 years old. On June 18 he sang the most famous anime theme again, this time on an NHK music program named Utacon.
June 22: Anniversary concert announced
From the Japanese website Daily…
The original idol voice actress who played Yuki Mori in Space Battleship Yamato shares her memories; the legendary Symphonic Suite to be premiered
The score for Symphonic Suite Space Battleship Yamato by composer Hiroshi Miyagawa (who passed away in 2006), a pioneer of Japanese pop music with many hits, was recently discovered. It has been decided that the piece will premiere at the GalaxCity Nishiarai Cultural Hall in Tokyo on October 6, the 50th anniversary of the monumental sci-fi anime Space Battleship Yamato.
Symphonic Suite is a 1977 work in which Miyagawa scaled up the soundtrack of Yamato to include a full orchestra. The LP was a big hit, but the sheet music was lost and the piece was never performed live. Instead, only a 10-minute Yamato Suite and a few tracks from the Symphonic Suite were performed.
Recently, Kaito Ikeda, the leader and conductor of Orchestra Pitore-za and a second generation Yamato fan, appealed to Miyagawa’s son Akira. The first draft of the score was discovered, and the entire score was recreated under Akira’s supervision.
Participating in the premiere will be Akira, Ikeda, Orchestra Pitore-za, and the Pitore-za Chorus, as well as Yuuki (scat), Takayuki Emori (guitar), Tetsushi Shiota (bass), and Hikaru Kanza (drums). The piano will be played by Hiroshi Miyagawa’s grandson Daisuke.
The original idol voice actress Yoko Asagami, who played the heroine Yuki Mori (now a storyteller at 71 named Ichiryusai Shunsui), shared her memories of Yamato. She pointed out the relationship between Yamato and music, saying, “Space Battleship Yamato is a very important work in my voice acting career. A work that was created with such care for the music was not seen in other programs at the time. The various scenes set in space were sometimes gentle, sometimes thrilling, and sometimes majestic and profound, and I was moved as my imagination was expanded.”
“I never had a chance to talk to Mr. Miyagawa, but I saw him from afar, and his easy-going and cheerful demeanor, and it felt like I was getting a glimpse into the source of Yamato‘s music,” she recalled.
She added, “A voice actor only encounters music after recording their lines and when they are broadcast. But when I was working on the radio drama, I was able to enjoy the sound effects and music together and further expand on my imagination as I acted. It’s a happy and fond memory.”
As a voice actress, she gained idol-like popularity for her roles as Yuki in Yamato, Claire in Galaxy Express 999, Mrs. Hudson in Famous Detective Holmes, and Nogami Saeko in City Hunter. As a storyteller, she was a student of the living national treasure Ichiryusai Teimizu, and was promoted in 2004 under the name Ichiryusai Shunsui. Since 2012, she has used that stage name as both a voice actor and storyteller.
Photos posted on Twitter by aoi2199
June 23: Kashiwa City Wind Orchestra concert
This was a smaller event with less fan coverage on social media, but it got at least one positive review from Twitter user aoi2199:
“I went to the 66th concert of the Kashiwa City Wind Orchestra. It is an amateur brass band, so the concert had a handmade feel to it. Right from the first part, the energetic and lively performance was enjoyable!”
The playlist included pieces from John Williams, David Holsinger, and Philip Sparke, then gave way to Hiroshi Miyagawa’s 10-minute Yamato Suite and several pieces from Galaxy Express 999 (hence the program book cover).
July 7: Asao Philharmonic Family Concert
If one concert in a weekend wasn’t enough, you had another option on Sunday when the Asao Philharmonic, a community orchestra in Kawasaki City, closed with the Yamato theme as its second encore.
Visit their Twitter page here
July 26: Osaka Concert
The name of this unusual concert was The Ultimate Titanic, since it consisted entirely of film music (starting with that one). Others included The Terminator, Mission Impossible, Godzilla, and Galaxy Express 999. The thing tying them together was the presentation. All were performed on the impressive pipe organ in Osaka Symphony Hall (played by organist Mari Ohki), and accompanied by a projection-mapped light show.
The Space Battleship Yamato theme was the closer, and not for the first time; Akira Miyagawa has conducted the Osaka Shion Orchestra in this same space – but not with projection mapping. That’s something to watch for in future concerts.
Photo at right posted on Twitter by the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra
August 3: Concert performance
The Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra teamed up with conductor Akira Miyagawa for a summer festival concert at the Tokyo Electron Hall in Miyagi Prefecture. It brought together all of his best hits, culminating with the Yamato theme. It was the first of two concerts for Miyagawa in August.
Photo posted on Twitter by birthdaysong5
August 11: Super Anime Song Spirits 2024
There’s a delightful annual tradition in which a group called Anime Japan Fes stages a theme song concert just around the corner from Comiket on its closing day.
Photo posted on Twitter by chun78
And despite continuing to hint that he’s about to retire, Isao Sasaki still turns up every time. You can probably guess which of his songs brings the house down at the end of the show.
Photo posted on Twitter by kotori2co
August 24: Space Battleship Yamato Strings concert
By all accounts, the Space Battleship Yamato Strings Concert (performed as part of the Mt. Fuji Kawaguchiko Music Festival) was something very special, even among Yamato concerts. It was the first of its kind, an open air experience that allowed nature itself in on the act…and nature obliged!
Read a full account, with comments from both musicians and attendees, here
August 24: Space Battleship Yamato sheet music
Among the products for sale at the strings concert was a new pair of scores from Hustle Copy, the company that publishes Miyagawa family sheet music. The new editions published on this day were both piano arrangements of the Yamato theme, one for solo and one for duet. Click on each to order them from the Hustle Copy website (to Japanese addresses only).
September 15: Kansai University Symphonic Band Concert
Composer/conductor Akira Miyagawa continued to be the busiest of musical bees when he turned up at the 70th anniversary concert for Kansai University (in Osaka) and ran them through their paces. The set list included his best-known pieces and his father Hiroshi’s 4-part Yamato Suite.
Photo posted by Fukapon
October 6: Symphonic Suite Yamato concert
Fans swarmed in from across the country for what may be their only chance to hear this most famous of all Yamato scores in a live concert: the 1977 Symphonic Suite Yamato, played end to end under the baton of Kaito Ikeda. The ensemble was a young one, mostly in their 30s, which meant they were born a good twenty years after Yamato began.
Click here to read all about it in the special report for October 6.
October 14: Yuya Hoshino on Youtube
Yuya Hoshino is the composer/performer of Crimson Red, the hardest-rocking end title song from Yamato 2202. If you’ve wondered what he’d sound like covering some other songs, wonder no longer; he released a live cover of From Yamato With Love (1978) on Youtube.
See it here
November 1: Yamato theme sheet music, “flex band” version
Winds Score WSBF-00045
Official description: “Since the first Space Battleship Yamato series premiered in 1974, the theme song has been rearranged for each broadcast and film, and sung by various artists. This Flex Band (small bands of 20 or less) arrangement is reminiscent of the original Isao Sasaki/Royal Knights version, delivering a sound that truly embodies Yamato!”
Visit the Winds Score website’s Yamato page here
Listen to a sample recording on Youtube here
November 10: Yomiuri Online article
It’s never too late for a “where are they now” lookback. On this day, Yomiuri Online looked back to 1979 and the release of the Yamato Choral and Piano Suite. More specifically, they spoke to members of the choir that actually performed on the album. What did they have to say about the experience 45 years later?
Read the article here
December 21/22: Melody Yamato Special Night
Would you like to hear the Yamato theme played live by a symphony quartet in the Battleship Yamato Museum? If you happened to be in Kure Japan this weekend, you had a chance to do just that. The main exhibit space was lit for the holidays and four members of the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra gathered around the massive 1/10 Yamato to perform.
The playlists (different on each night) included pieces from Mozart, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Joe Hisaishi, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and more. The Yamato theme was heard on the 22nd, and a video clip appeared on the museum’s Twitter page here.