Whenever new TV series were announced by a network, a presentation package was distributed to affiliate stations and media sources for publicity. Shown here is the original package for the first Yamato TV series, distributed in September 1974.

A thrilling SF adventure in which Space Battleship Yamato fights across 40,000 light-years of space to save Earth from destruction.

Program Title: Space Battleship Yamato
Broadcast Time: Every Sunday at 7:30 PM
Broadcast Start Date: October 6, 1974
Number of Episodes: Over 26
Broadcast Format: Color Animation
Genre: SF Adventure Drama

Concept: Yoshinobu Nishizaki
Screenplay: Keisuke Fujikawa
Direction: Toshio Masuda, Leiji Matsumoto, Eiichi Yamamoto
Art Director: Leiji Matsumoto
Music: Hiroshi Miyagawa
Producer: Juichi Sano
Production: Daiichi Broadcasting System
Yomiuri TV

“What if a ship flew in the sky?” This work was born from this extraordinary idea. A ship that should be sailing the seas flies in the sky, and it is none other than the Battleship Yamato…

The Space Battleship Yamato sets out on a thrilling adventure to save Earth from destruction, fighting its way through 40,000 light-years of space.

With the success of Japan Sinks, the occult boom, and talk of the end of the world, this work reflects the modern age, depicting the adventures, love, and struggles of the Space Battleship Yamato and its crew members, who are messengers of peace as they strive to save Earth from destruction.

140,000 light-years from Earth, in the Magellanic Clouds surrounding the Milky Way, there are twin planets called Gamilas and Iscandar. Gamilas is a planet of conquest, while Iscandar is a planet of peace, and their natures are as different as oil and water.

The year is 2199.

Earth is under attack from the planet Gamilas. Humans have built underground cities and are fighting back with all their might, but radiation from Planet Bombs is steadily contaminating not only the Earth’s surface but also the underground. With only one year left before the extinction of humanity, the end is drawing near.

One day, a lifeline is extended from the planet Iscandar. If humanity wishes to have a future, it must use wisdom and courage to retrieve the Cosmo Cleaner D, a radiation removal device located on Iscandar.

The destination, Iscandar, is 140,000 light-years away, with the enemy-controlled Gamilas lying between them. The time limit for human survival is 365 days. Facing this daunting fate, the Space Battleship Yamato stands up to carry the hopes of all humanity on Earth.

Yamato was a tragic battleship that sank without ever having the chance to fight in the Pacific War. The Battleship Yamato was secretly remodeled on the dry seabed and reborn as the Space Battleship Yamato, equipped with the latest weapons.

Under the command of Captain Okita, the Yamato sets off with 114 space warriors, including the protagonist, Susumu Kodai. As Yamato travels through the Solar System, the Milky Way, and beyond into intergalactic space, it faces relentless attacks from the massive mechanized armies of the interstellar empire Gamilas. Unexpected cosmic hazards such as dark nebulae also lie in wait. The ship is damaged, many crew members fall, and the time limit approaches…

However, Kodai and his crew carry out their mission with an indomitable fighting spirit. In the year 2200, the people of Earth see the heroic figure of Yamato returning through the clouds.

Susumu Kodai (18 years old)
Operations and combat commander, later captain. A hot-blooded space warrior. He is passionate about protecting Earth, but his impulsiveness sometimes leads to mistakes. He admires Captain Okita and grows as a person. He is in love with Yuki Mori.

Daisuke Shima (18 years old)
Responsible for Yamato‘s weekly operations. Kodai’s rival and best friend. The opposite of Kodai, he is the calm and rational type. He also loves Yuki Mori.

Yuki Mori (18 years old)
Responsible for daily life and analysis. A woman with the kindness of a goddess and the strength of a man. An outstanding scientist, she is also a romantic poet. She enjoys various space fashions.

Juzo Okita (45 years old)
Captain. A veteran space warrior. A physicist and old warrior who believes that a man is defined by his ability to endure hardship and emerge victorious in the end. He dies in battle, and his personality is inherited by Susumu Kodai.

Analyzer robot
Responsible for research and analysis. A genius with outstanding performance, but being an older model, he is a bit clumsy.

Sakezo Sado (45 years old)
Doctor, originally a veterinarian. A heavy drinker suffering from athlete’s foot. Despite his comical appearance, he is highly skilled.

Hikozaemon Tokugawa (55 years old)
Engineering officer. The oldest member of the crew, he has absolute confidence in the engines and is stubborn to the extreme.

Sasuke Sanada (49 years old)
Responsible for supplies, weapons, and the factory. A scientific fundamentalist who trusts machines more than people. Later leads a rebellion. [Later renamed Shiro Sanada.]

Mamoru Kodai (26 years old)
Older brother of Susumu Kodai. Reported killed in a space battle, but miraculously survived and now wages guerrilla warfare against the planet Gamilas, driven by hatred. Also known as Captain Harlock.

Bonus

In later years, after the series was fully produced, different PR kits were distributed for reruns on Nippon TV affiliates. The one shown above and below contained brief synopses of all 26 episodes. This text would then appear in print media and other promotions wherever it was needed.