If you lived in Japan and had a jones for live Yamato music, 2025 gave you more options than ever with no less than 20 concerts to choose from. 13 of them combined Yamato with other tunes, but the others were fully dedicated, including three separate performances of the 1984 Grand Symphony.
Each one is described below, along with other music-related news.
January: Akira Miyagawa on Youtube
Back in January, singer Ari Miyakawa teamed up with Akira for a Q&A video that explores his composing craftsmanship. This extended program ranged far and wide, with a substantial Yamato segment starting at the 54 minute mark.
Watch it here (closed captions and autotranslate ON)
January 10: Isao Sasaki on Anison Days
Anison Days is a TV series dedicated to live performances of anime themes, and Isao Sasaki dominated the stage in the January 10 episode, backed up by host Hiroko Moriguchi. Entertainment website The Television collected comments from them on the occasion of Sasaki’s 65th anniversary as a performer. (Nope, he still hasn’t retired.)
Read the article here
Photo posted on Twitter by OsakaShion
February 1: Osaka Shion concert
Under the baton of Akira Miyagawa, the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra has risen to the challenge of Yamato music many times. They hit all the right notes again in the first Yamato concert of the year in a wide-ranging playlist that went from the very beginning all the way up to 3199, including the White Comet theme on pipe organ.
Isao Sasaki was scheduled to perform, but had to decline due to illness. By all accounts, his last-minute substitute did stellar work.
See a photo gallery and read about the concert here
February 15: Jupiter & Yamato Concert in Sapporo
Located in Hokkaido, the city of Sapporo was the site of a sold-out concert that gave the 1984 Grand Symphony another spectacular run for its money with a performance of Mozart’s Jupiter thrown in just for kicks.
Read about the concert and see a photo gallery here
Photo at right posted on Twitter by Yamato_MUSIC_FE
March 1: Gunma Symphony Orchestra concert
The month began with a musical reunion. Naoto Otomo, who conducted the original Grand Symphony concert in 1984, returned to conduct it again at GT Symphonic Concert Vol 6, “The Orchestra Sound.”
Photo posted on Twitter by the Gunma Symphony Orchestra
The program opened with warmups from some unknowns named Suppe and Tchaikovsky, then the 4-part tour de force written by Kentaro Haneda sent them limping home. The venue for this performance was the Takasaki Arts Theatre, Takasaki City in Gunma prefecture.
March 2: Sky Winds performance
What’s a great way to kill some time in an airport? If you answered “live Yamato concert for free” you described what went on at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on March 2. The Sky Winds Orchestra (formed of students from the Tokyo College of Music) played two sessions on the observation level that included selections from Yamato.
According to the blog of trumpet player Akira Ogiwara (see it here), it was the second annual performance in this space.
FLIGHT DECK TOKYO at Haneda Airport’s Terminal 2 has an attractive panoramic view of the runway. Of course, it is not a place for playing music, so it is quite difficult to have a large number of people playing in the wind orchestra. A very large number of customers came to the performance this time as well, far exceeding the number of chairs we had prepared, and there were so many customers standing that they could not move from the spot. I’m sorry that we had to stand for almost an hour, but I’m truly grateful that so many people were able to listen to the performance of the wind orchestra academy major.
March 16: Concert in Osaka
Live Yamato music was heard again on this day at Osaka’s Sayaka Hall when the Municipal University Wind Band performed a marching version of the theme at an Alumni Association Joint Concert. Also on the bill was the theme from Spirited Away.
March 19: Isao Sasaki news
We’ve seen a lot of Isao Sasaki over the last year, despite his continuous talk of retirement. Now 82, all the activity finally caught up with him and landed him in a hospital with a severe case of pneumonia. The Smart Flash website published an update on his condition, which you can read here.
As of early April, he was still recuperating at home instead of continuing to perform. He was scheduled to perform the Yamato theme again at the 22nd Cherry Blossom Enka Festival on April 5, so others had to sing it without him. Instead of contributing his voice, he sent a message saying “I’m doing me best to be able to meet you all again in good health.”
Visit Sasaki’s official site here
Visit his Twitter page here
April 5: Cosmic Harmony concert
Here’s something for your future wishlist: Tokyo is now home to Ikebukuro Animation Philharmonic, an organization dedicated to orchestral performances of anime theme songs with accompanying dance choreography and planetarium lightshows. They put on their inaugural concert last July and followed up with their second concert on this day, called Cosmic Harmony.
It had a dream play list for SF anime fans, featuring music from Yamato, Macross, Gundam, Captain Harlock, Cowboy Bebop, Galaxy Express, and more. Visit the official website here and see a promo video for Cosmic Harmony here.
More importantly, keep an eye on this group for future concerts that might brighten up your next trip to Tokyo.
April 25: Isao Sasaki news
A little over a month after Isao Sasaki’s alarming brush with pneumonia, the talk shifted from “overworked” to “miraculous recovery.” Not only was he back on his feet, he was already rehearsing for his next live performance at age 82.
Read two accounts of his amazing turnaround here
Photo at right posted on Twitter by mtama315
April 27: Siena Wind Orchestra concert
Siena’s first outing of the year under the baton of conductor Akira Miyagawa was an all-Yamato concert in Karuizawa city, Nagano prefecture, about as close as you can get to the geographic center of Japan. The performance took place at the picturesque Ohga Hall. Akira’s daughter Chiko Miyagawa (below) performed the organ part for the White Comet theme.
Photos posted on Twitter by hanohanohano and Chiko Miyagawa
The playlist, taped up for public view at the last minute, was broad and extensive with Hiroshi Miyagawa compositions filling up the first half (classic series), and Akira Miyagawa tracks in the second (remake series).
Photo posted on Twitter by htr_ymt and aoi2199
Fumi Fukakou, the scholar behind Yamato Music FE posted the following insights on Twitter…
The concert was held amidst falling cherry blossoms. It was my first time at the hall, but it had windows like the first bridge (and the shutters went down!), a seating arrangement that seemed to surround the audience, and the music pouring down from above. It was full of charm.
The program, which moved from the origin to the present and the future, was very interesting.
The first part was “Gekiban” (background music) from Space Battleship Yamato (1974), which Akira played as if spinning a story with music. (The original Yamato theme was included too!) It was like a great river or a big song that surged forward, and it really touched my heart.
The second part, Akira’s Yamato music, began with The 18th Armored Division (from Yamato III), in which Akira participated as a composer, and continued with the music from the remake series.
Chiko’s White Comet (Keith Emerson ver.) was thrilling! It’s been a while since I last listened to this song live, and no matter how many times I hear it, the way the sound goes down and up in the middle is just amazing!!
Sheet music for The 18th Armored Division, spotted by hanohanohano during intermission
For those wondering about The 18th Armored Division, I’ll write a little more.
It was born in the original Yamato III, which features the appearance of new forces such as Galman and the Bolar Federation (there was also originally a force called the United States of Zeni). There were new characters such as Domon and Ageha, new mecha, and even space adventure, one of the key elements of the 1974 Yamato.
A very large amount of music was needed. In the end, over 100 pieces were recorded. The composing period was also very tough, with the previous work Be Forever being released in the same year, and other things as well, so it was clear that Hiroshi Miyagawa was in desperate need of any help he could get.
In the midst of all this, Akira Miyagawa, who was 18-19 years old at the time, was chosen. Because it was a TV series, “versatility” was required. For example, “Battle Theme A” or “Planet Theme 1.” Akira started writing based on that. Among his compositions, The 18th Armored Division, which was written as a “battle” song, was adopted, and additional recording was done while Yamato III was being broadcast.
The score at the time was described as a “somewhat pop-style battle,” and from this we can see that it was neither meant for Yamato‘s side nor the enemy side.
This piece was included in the Yamato III symphonic album, and it was here that it was officially given the title The 18th Armored Division. Hiroshi Miyagawa praised the song, saying, “I think it’s pretty well written.” It was used for the first time in Episode 21 of Yamato III, where it decorated the scene with a strong impression.
In fact, Akira had been asked to compose some of the music for Be Forever, and I think Hiroshi sensed the potential there. 45 years have passed since then. The 18th Armored Division has not only not faded, but has been polished.
Photos posted on Twitter by powderskin and Sankei Sports
April 27: Super Robot Spirits 2025 concert
Music fans had a serious decision to make on the 27th you could EITHER the Siena Wind Orchestra concert OR the victorious return of Isao Sasaki to the stage in Tokyo. Tragically, they were too far apart to see in one day.
Reported by Sankei Sports:
Singer Isao Sasaki (82) appeared at the anime song event Super Robot Spirits 2025 Tokyo ~ Stage Terra held at Zepp Haneda in Ota Ward, Tokyo
Sasaki was diagnosed with acute exacerbation of interstitial pneumonia in January, and this was his first stage performance since being discharged from the hospital at the end of February. Sasaki, known for his anime songs such as Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999, was greeted by about 2,000 fans with “Welcome back!” He thanked the medical staff involved in his treatment and promised, “I finally realized that people are happy that I’ve returned. From now on, I’d like to live in a way that makes everyone happy.”
This year marks the 65th anniversary of his debut. On this day, he sang the theme songs of robot anime such as Beglendizer, Gaiking, and Getter Robo. After the show, he responded to an interview about his physical recovery, saying, “It felt like I was still less than 50%, but if I try a little harder, I think I can make it in time for my 65th anniversary event on July 20th” (also to be held at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo). He felt confident in his complete recovery. A “best album” commemorating his 65th anniversary will be released on July 16th.
See moving pictures from Super Robot Spirits in a TBS news report here
Flashback: see Sasaki perform on an April 2024 TV program here
May 19: Concert clip
Posted on Twitter by the Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra:
Today, the NHK Nodo Jiman Taikai was broadcast live from Kashima City, Saga Prefecture. Our guest is the king of anime songs, Isao Sasaki! When you think of Isao Sasaki, you think of Space Battleship Yamato. Here’s a little video of us performing in Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture in January of this year.
Click here to watch
Photo at right posted on Twitter by fwks7841
June 1: Yamato in Concert
Saga City in Kyushu Prefecture was the site of the summer’s first live Yamato music performance by the Elysion Philharmonic Orchestra at the Saga Prefectural Center. Now in its 23th year, Elysion is dedicated to themes from anime, games, and pop music. The concert featured pieces from various historical dramas and video games with Hiroshi Miyagawa’s 4-part Yamato Suite “anchoring the set” so to speak.
See a video clip of Elysion playing the Yamato theme here
June 2: Music history
Posted this day on Twitter by an account named “Retro youth • Showa-era Shou-chan”:
This is a rare sight! We discovered a video of historical drama star Kotaro Satomi singing the famous anime song Space Battleship Yamato. I always thought of Satomi as someone who sings enka and period drama songs, so I was surprised to see this. As expected of a big star, he’s good at anime songs too!
As it turns out, Satomi isn’t the only “big star” in the video; the piano is being played by none other than Hiroshi Miyagawa.
Watch the 1-minute clip here
June 22: The Infinitely Expanding Universe concert
Osaka was the site of the second live concert in June, this time a fusion of performance and academic study. The study part was provided by Norihiko Asao, a writer in the pop culture field, who led conversation about the pieces that were played by violinist Sayu Yamamoto and pianist Mirai Ichikawa.
The first half of the concert focused on live-action themes from Gorath to Ultraman to Star Trek and Star Wars, and the latter half was divided between Yamato, Gundam, and Galaxy Express music with discussion throughout.
Sayu Yamamoto runs her own Youtube channel, and offers up occasional Yamato violin pieces. Click here for a sample of the New Cosmo Tiger theme. Click here for a 2199 medley duet with herself playing both parts.
July 6: Akira Miyagawa’s music class
How much would you like to sit down with Akira and have him explain The Infinitely Expanding Universe to you note by note? Vocalist Ari Miyakawa gave us all that opportunity when she did exactly that in a 23-minute video.
Watch it on Youtube here (closed captions and autotranslate ON!)
July 16: Isao Sasaki 65th anniversary CD set
65 years as a working pro, commemorated by 69 songs from anime and tokusatsu shows. Isao Sasaki’s brand new 65th Anniversary Best Collection is a 3-disc set with opening, ending, and “insert” songs from all the favorites, including most of his Yamato songs from across the classic era.
Order it from Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here
Listen to the complete album for free (with commercials) on Youtube here
Photo posted on Twitter by info_IsoSasaki
July 20: Isao Sasaki 65th anniversary concert
Despite his health scare earlier in the year, Isao Sasaki delivered his long-anticipated 65th anniversary concert in Tokyo. The entertainment news website Encount published the story afterward…
Miraculous recovery from serious illness: 83-year-old Isao Sasaki performs Space Battleship Yamato at comeback concert, saying, “I am alive because of others.”
Singer Isao Sasaki (83) held a live concert titled 65th Anniversary Debut Commemoration: A Celebration of Resurrection with Friends at Zepp Haneda in Tokyo on the 20th. Sasaki was hospitalized with a serious illness in January of this year, but was discharged at the end of February and made a miraculous recovery. He returned to the stage at the end of April and demonstrated that he is still going strong as the “King of Anime Songs” in front of an audience of about 2,000 people.
Photo at right posted on Twitter by powderskin
Sasaki made his stage appearance singing the theme song of the hit anime Space Battleship Yamato a cappella. After his performance, which was met with cheers and applause, he greeted the audience with a smile.
“Since falling ill, I have come to feel that I am being kept alive by others. Today, I will sing with gratitude to everyone who has supported me.”
He then sang two more songs related to Yamato: The Scarlet Scarf and Yamato!! The New Voyage.
In addition, in memory of the late “Emperor of Anime Songs” Ichiro Mizuki, who passed away in 2022, he performed Captain Harlock. Sasaki also captivated the audience with a rendition of Oyoge! Taiyaki-kun by Shimon Masato. Together, Sasaki, Masato, and Mizuki were known as the “Three Kings of Anime Songs.”
Anime song artists Mitsuko Horie, Hironobu Kageyama, Masaaki Endo, and Kentaro Hayami appeared as guests, singing their representative songs and celebrating Sasaki’s 65th anniversary. Receiving encouragement from his friends, Sasaki declared, “I will continue to live my life the way I want to!” and sang the famous song My Way. For the encore, all the performers and the audience stood up and sang Space Battleship Yamato together.
He concluded his set of 24 songs with a sigh of relief, saying, “I’m glad I was able to sing all the way through.” Sasaki also appeared as a voice actor in the Japanese dub of the newly released film Superman directed by James Gunn, has recently released his best-of album, and plans to continue his active career.
TBS News posted a highlight film with clips from several anime themes, including the ones we’re here for. He doesn’t hit every note or time every phrase the way he used to, but for an 83-year-old man running on just 40% lung capacity, he’s still better at it than most of us will ever be.
Watch the highlight video here
July 23: Hiroshi Miyagawa, The Hit Parade CD set
Yep, it was a heckuva month for music, wasn’t it? The official description says it all:
This 5-CD box set traces the remarkable career of composer and arranger Hiroshi Miyagawa (1931–2006), who supported Japanese pop music from its early days and produced numerous hit songs. This collection features a hit parade of Japanese pop songs that still shine brightly today, including enka ballads, group sounds, and new music, as well as arrangements that anticipated the sounds of their time, and nostalgic theme songs from TV shows that brightened up living rooms during the Showa era. This luxurious compilation includes approximately 100 of the most beloved songs from this era. The set includes a luxurious booklet with liner notes, biographies, and messages from prominent figures! A must-have for collectors.
See a highlight video on Youtube here
Order it from Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here
July 27: Summer Pops Concert
Another dimension was added to the excitement of the Osaka anniversary exhibition when live orchestral Yamato music was performed at the city’s Symphony Hall. Conductor Sachio Fujioka posted the photo at right on Twitter five days earlier, with the score for the 4-part Yamato Suite at the top of his to-do list. He led the Kansai Philharmonic Pop Orchestra through it, along with other lively choices such as Galaxy Express 999, the Lupin III theme, and many more.
Photo posted on Twitter by lucky616
August 13: Concert promotion
Yamato & Villains was on its way back, this time to be performed in Niigata City, as this collection of ads in local newspapers indicated.
The concert has been performed periodically since 2021, and though it has yet to be released on CD, a full performance can be seen on Youtube here.
September 4 & 5: Chiko Miyagawa on Twitter
When the month began, pianist Chiko Miyagawa and the musicians making up the Siena Wind Orchestra were tuning up and working hard to rehearse for twin Yamato concerts that were coming up fast. On the 4th, She posted a one-minute clip of herself playing the New Cosmo Tiger theme with this caption:
The Yamato Festival with Siena has begun! The golden sound really energizes you, doesn’t it? We still have some seats available, so please come by.
Watch the Sept 4 clip here
On the 5th, she followed up with another clip practicing the Goruba theme, the most challenging piano riff in the entire music catalog.
Being able to perform grandpa’s piece under dad’s conducting should be the ultimate happiness, yet I’m always desperate every time. For me, precious Goruba is also a time for dialogue with the great Kentaro Haneda [who originally played the piece for The New Voyage]. The terror of the half-tone. I hope it gets more polished by the day of the performance.
Watch the Sept 5 clip here
September 5: Musician tweet
Organist Yuki Ishimaru added her perspective on the rehearsal process with this photo and the following caption:
I rehearsed with everyone from Siena for the Yamato Festival. The voices of everyone in this back view really gives me chills…look forward to it! The September 7 performance is in Niigata. Chiko-san, Yuuki-san, it’s really exciting to perform in our hometown.
September 7: Yamato Festival, Yamato & Villains!! concert, Niigata
The spectacular return of this concert took place at Ryutopia Concert Hall in Niigata city (Niigata Prefecture), roughly in the midpoint of Japan’s west coast. Akira Miyagawa led the Siena Wind Orchestra and a lineup of star performers through no less than 18 pieces.
The event was heavily attended and covered by musicians and fans alike; read all about it here
September 10: Concert ad
Hot off its triumph in Niigata, Yamato & Villains was now heading north to Sapporo. This was declared in a 1-minute ad posted on Youtube by DosinPlayGuide. See it for yourself here.
September 13: Concert promotion
With one day left before the next concert, Akira Miyagawa sat down with five members of the orchestra who hail from the Hokkaido region. Such concerts are not often performed there, so they held a “special talk” to learn a little more about it.
See it on Youtube here (closed captions and autotranslate ON)
September 14: Yamato & Villains concert, Sapporo
The venue this time was Sapporo’s magnificent Kitara concert hall, and all the same artists were back to raise the roof again. As in Niigata, it was heavily attended and discussed. See a report here.
September 21: Anison Premium Live concert
The Yamato theme (and many other songs) shook the walls again by the top names in anime music when Isao Sasaki, Mitsuko Horie, Hironobu Kageyama, and Masasaki Endoh all took the stage at Minamisoma Civic Cultural Center in Fukushima.
October 10: Tokyo City Philharmonic Concert
This one hit on the same day as the premiere of REBEL 3199 Chapter 4. The scheduling was probably just coincidental, but the Tokyo City Philharmonic put on a show that made the Yamato theme the opening number in Symphonic Pops Night at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall. Other selections included themes from Lupin III, Superman, the Godfather, Back to the Future, and more.
Photo posted on Twitter by Osaka Shion
October 13: Osaka Shion “Monthly Wind Ensemble” concert
How would YOU like to perform the Yamato theme under the baton of Akira Miyagawa? A bunch of amateur and practicing musicians got the chance to do just that (along with pros from the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra) at the 100th edition of the “Monthly Wind Ensemble.” This is a program that welcomes participants to experience the real thing with a real instrument in their real hands.
As a regular conductor for Osaka Shion, Akira Miyagawa led the group through the Yamato Suite and two of his other favorite pieces at a community center in the city of Osaka.
October 13: Siena Wind Orchestra concert
In the city of Kure, on the same day and almost the same time, the Yamato Suite got another shakedown by the Siena Wind Orchestra, which has also worked with Akira Miyagawa on more than one occasion. This time Yamato shared the setlist with Star Wars, Nausicaa, and other worthy companions.
October: Music history
Just when you think you’ve squeezed allllll the toothpaste out of the tube, another drop appears.
The tweet shown here was posted by a fan in Japan under the online name TTZ-L, who heard the opening theme for Star Blazers and was reminded of the work of Mitch Miller. If you’ve never heard of him, Wikipedia describes him thus:
An American choral conductor, record producer, record-industry executive, and professional oboist. He was involved in almost all aspects of the industry, particularly as a conductor and Artists and Repertoire (A&R) man. Miller was one of the most influential people in American popular music during the 1950s and early 1960s, both as the head of A&R at Columbia Records and as a best-selling recording artist with an NBC television series, Sing Along with Mitch. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester in the early 1930s, Miller began his musical career as a player of the oboe and English horn, making numerous highly regarded classical and popular recordings.
If you sample even a little bit of Miller’s catalog, you’ll find that “TTZ-L” wasn’t wrong. Have a listen here.
November 19: Yasuhiko Yoshikazu Animation Works Music Collection
Yasuhiko Yoshikazu, the master animator/manga artist/illustrator whose pedigree goes all the way back to the first Yamato series, has had a popular art exhibition touring Japan since spring 2024, and the new painting shown above is now part of it. The painting serves double duty as the cover art for a CD titled Yasuhiko Yoshikazu Animation Works Music Collection. It consists of 2 discs featuring 36 theme songs from films and TV series from Yamato to Gundam The Origin with many stops in between.
Order it from Amazon.co.jp here
November 29: Grand Symphony concert
Kentaro Haneda’s Yamato Grand Symphony got another live performance by the accomplished Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra. As everyone acknowledges, it’s a piece that challenges both an orchestra and soloists (on violin and piano) to rise above their best. The performance took place at Minato Mirai Hall in Yokohama Prefecture.
Comments on Twitter:
Currently in rehearsal, a grand, powerful rendition of Space Battleship Yamato by an unusually large ensemble! Man, for the Yamato generation, you can’t listen to this without tears!
– kanagawageikyo (Nov 27)
Photo posted on Twitter by The Udoneeds
I’ve probably seen it 6-7 times, but today I was on the edge of my seat throughout the performance, wishing it would never end. At the ending I was moved to chills all over. I have no professional knowledge of music, but in terms of preference it was completely on another level compared to the Yamato concerts I’ve seen before.
When the performers poured out all their energy and nailed it perfectly, I could tell the customers were conveying their heartfelt, passionate “bravo” through warm, thunderous applause.
– The Udoneeds (Nov 29)
A sense-filled Haydn and a super cool Kapustin followed by the mega-masterpiece, Yamato! The 3rd and 4th movements are just perfect for the word “moving.” Our all-out power performance left us utterly overwhelmed. Bravissimo!
– kanagawageikyo (Nov 29)
December 18: Anison Premium Live, Osaka
Isao Sasaki and his fellow anime theme legends were still at it, this time teaming up for action at Osaka’s Shin Kabukiza theater. Afterward, a fan with the Twitter handle TakenobuYamato posted this thought: “Hearing Space Battleship Yamato live with the full chorus led by Isao Sasaki was a delightful experience! Savoring the afterglow, I’m heading home while listening to the Yamato soundtrack.”
December 31: New Year’s Eve concert
Akira Miyagawa has made an annual tradition of conducting a New Year’s Eve concert in the afternoon of December 31, and Yamato music is always included. The event was named Super! Sylvester Concert 2025/2026, and it was performed at Sumida Triphony Hall, Tokyo.
Left: photo posted on Twitter by newjapanphil. On either side of Akira Miyagawa are his daughter Chiko and the singer Aki Miyakawa.
This time, he led the New Japan Philharmonic through various pieces, including one from 2205, and two tracks from the classic Symphonic Suite Yamato: Overture and Birth. In observation of this, a fan artist with the Twitter name Girigiri_yukka posted the art at right. In a just world, it would become a CD cover for this performance.