December 13: Magmix article
Fifty years since the original broadcast, and all the questions about Space Battleship Yamato have still not been asked. Here’s one: what was the food situation during the voyage to Iscandar? Writer Seiichiro Hayakawa took a look at it in an article published on the Magmix website.
Read it here
December 13: Week 4 handout
REBEL 3199 Chapter 2’s 4th week in theaters commenced with the last of the freebies. This time it was a clear file depicting Dezarium’s Grand Reverse, though it was mistranslated as “Ground Reverse” on the front. The color images are by Dezarium mecha designer Mika Akitaka.
December 13: REBEL 3199 calendar for 2025
The Yamato Crew website fulfilled another annual tradition with the release of a new calendar. This one contains seven images from REBEL 3199 Chapters 1 and 2 and goes all the way through February 2026.
It can be ordered here, but ships to Japanese addresses only.
December 16: RIP Mitsuru Kashiwabara
As the clock ticks ever forward, more beloved crew members embark on the next voyage. Today it was announced that Sound Designer Mitsuru Kashiwabara passed away on November 18 at the age of 91, leaving behind a world that has touched us all since the first time we heard the roar of a shock cannon, the tinkling glass, the tick-tick of Analyzer’s treads, and too many other enticing sound effects to list here.
Studio Khara and the Oricon website offered a tribute to the man whose works will outlive all of us and continue to entrance generations not yet born. Read what they had to say about Mr. Kashiwabara here.
Photos posted on Twitter by elfriede
December 18: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 286
With the coupler completed, the next section of the hull arrived, the upper half of the stern that will connect to the engine nozzle that was completed in November.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See a modeler’s blog here
Photo posted on Twitter by AnalyzerAU09
December 19: Yamatalk 1219
At the conclusion of its 4th week, REBEL 3199 Chapter 2 cycled out of most theaters, but was held over for a 5th week at four of them. This included the Shinjuku Piccadilly, where week 5 began with Yamatalk 1219 (named for the calendar date). What made it special? This time, the regular trio was joined by artist Kia Asamiya and everyone got a look at some never-before-seen concept drawings on the big screen.
Read all about it (and see some of the art) here
Another thing that made it special was that everyone who attended got an exclusive freebie: a text-heavy poster titled The True Dark History of Earth, as told by Dezarium. It offers a more detailed description of the “future events” described by Skaldart in Episode 3.
Ready to take a ride? Click here and read everything this poster has to say!
December 20: REBEL 3199 Chapter 3 Blu-ray announced
The next chapter, Aquamarine Asteroid, is scheduled to arrive in theaters April 11, to be accompanied by the limited edition Blu-ray. The regular edition will follow on June 25, and both will be wrapped in the slipcase shown above, illustrated by the great Naoyuki Katoh.
Different vendors will offer different bonus items; some will offer this clear blue version of the Deusula III mini-model.
December 20: Official Tweet
The final votes were tallied, and Energy-Saver Kun prevailed in the popularity vote against Isidore. What does this mean for future appearances in the Science Beginners video series? We’ll probably find out in April.
Meanwhile, see the official announcement (with GIF) here
December 21: Yamadog
With one week to go until the 50th anniversary screenings began, theaters jumped on the promo wagon with a “Yamato hot dog” at concession stands.
OK, it was just the regular hot dog (or cheese dog) they were already selling, but now you could get it with a Yamato wrapper to remind you about the upcoming screenings.
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.
December 22: Hobby Japan Web
The second part of Hobby Japan‘s new series Space Battleship Yamato Mechanics ran in issue 667, which was published on November 25. The article found its way to Hobby Japan Web on this day where it was reprinted in full.
Read it here
December 22: Kazuko Kawashima talk event
The voice of the stars still shines! Kazuko Kawashima, whose heavenly vocals grace the “Eternity of Space” theme, appeared in a live talk show in a Tokyo cafe. She talked about events leading up to her debut, her pre-Yamato work, and her music projects in both anime and tokusatsu. She also performed live, and made sure to cover the 50-year-old piece she’s most famous for.
Photos posted on Twitter by THE UDONEEDS
Audience members were surprised to find another star in their midst, none other than Yoko Asagami, voice of the original Yuki. At right, a Kawashima signature from a May 6 event that included the words “Yamato Scat” and “A~A~”
December 22: Ryusuke Hikawa on Twitter
As the O.G. Yamato superfan, Ryusuke Hikawa always has supreme trivia at his fingertips. Here is what he posted on this day:
The misconception that Captain Okita says “stone raccoon” in Episode 2 was spread via a doujinshi. Shortly after production, Noboru Ishiguro said in an interview, “That was because Producer Nishizaki didn’t like ‘duck floating in a pond’ as written in the script, so he asked if there was anything better, like ‘dying raccoon’, and we thought, ‘Oh, we’ll take that.'” After that, I obtained the primary source, the script with on-site corrections, and verified the fact. So the “stone raccoon” was a mistake based on interviews. However, the story of how it spread is interesting, so it might be a subject for research.
What line does this refer to? In the first half of the episode, Yamato is still mired in the ground with Gamilas bombers approaching and the engine isn’t starting up. Here’s the scene with fansubs by Central Anime:
The line is translated to “sitting duck” for Western viewers, but if you listen carefully Okita does say “dying tanuki” (raccoon). The reference to “stone raccoon” might have also worked since Yamato was covered with stone at the time. Ironically, “sitting duck” was the literal term in the script before it was changed to “dying raccoon.”
See? Supreme trivia!
December 23: whiskey tie-in announced
In November it was shochu wine, and now we go for the hard stuff. Here is the official announcement for this new tie-in as reported on the Whiskey Mew website:
Fans have been waiting for this! A whiskey label based on the timeless masterpiece Space Battleship Yamato is now available!
To save the Earth from destruction, a huge battleship split the earth and revealed its majesty, setting off into the far reaches of space. The theme song that everyone knows is heard! The story began in 1974 with that memorable scene, and half a century has passed since then. The timeless masterpiece Space Battleship Yamato is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Its popularity gradually grew after it began airing on TV, and with the release of the movie version, its popularity became unshakable.
Next, the completely original story Farewell to Yamato was released in theaters. It was a huge hit, ranking second in box office revenue for Japanese films that year, sparking a social phenomenon that became the catalyst for the anime boom. It expanded the age range of anime fans, and became the beginning of the anime business, including movies, music, comics, anime magazines, and character goods, and it influenced many creators.
whiskey MEW will release whiskey with the main visuals from these two memorable movies on the label.
The label for Space Battleship Yamato, a whiskey carefully selected by Hideo Yamaoka, features Secret Highland 2008. It is from Wildcat Distillery in the northern Highlands, known as the main malt for Johnnie Walker. It is a single malt with a waxy and oily feel that is currently in fashion, as well as a strong fruity flavor.
The other whiskey, chosen for the Farewell to Yamato label, is Williamson 2015. Named after Bessie Williamson, who is said to be the first female director in the history of the Scotch industry, this whiskey is made at a distillery on the south coast of Islay. It has a smoky aroma and flavor with a strong peat attack followed by a gentle fruity sweetness, making it a whiskey that can be enjoyed in any way.
With love and hope in our hearts, let’s toast to the 50th anniversary of Space Battleship Yamato with this exquisite whiskey!
What is Whiskey Mew? A project launched by manga artist Hideo Yamaoka to convey the appeal of whiskey to many people. As a collaboration between whiskey and art, this project continues to explore the appeal of various whiskeys. Today, the crossover of whiskey and art is supported by many fans, and this whiskey celebrating the 50th anniversary of Space Battleship Yamato is one example.
December 24: Textless opening title on Youtube
In just three more days, the Special Selection Screening would premiere in theaters. Tohokushinsha took a step to help promote it with a truly rare video artifact: a textless version of the first opening title with no logo, credits or lyric captions. It was unearthed as a bonus item for the screenings and could be viewed on Youtube through January 16.
Click here to watch if you see this news in time.
December 25: 1/350 Diecast Gimmick Model Vol. 287
Progress was slight this week, since the only new parts were stabilizer fins (and their lights) to be attached to either side of the rear hull segment. As of now, there were 23 more volumes to completion.
See Hachette’s instruction video here
See a modeler’s blog here
December 25: Symphonic Suite Yamato 2024 Mix
In a year of outstanding musical events, it’s hard to choose a better one to cap everything off. It even marked a birthday of sorts, being released on the same day as the original 47 years earlier (1977). For this special project, the engineers at Columbia Japan went all the way back to the 16 channel source tracks and digitized them from the ground up to produce a new mix for the ages. As fans themselves who grew up on this album, it held a special place in their hearts and needed to be handled exactly right.
How do we know this? Because they explained it in a detailed interview published the same day on Phile Web. Click here to read it.
Photo posted on Twitter by Alpharing_77
A body of work with this much history behind it can’t be limited to one format, so it was also released on limited edition vinyl, digital download, and an unprecedented spatial audio version that makes you feel like you’re in the recording studio.
Both the CD and LP contained the same interior content, though of course the LP version was much larger. Since the Symphonic Suite 2202 album (from January 2021) was simultaneously released on vinyl, the occasion merited a crossover in liner notes. Read them here.
Order the album from Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here.
And while you’re waiting for it to arrive, listen to the whole thing for free on Youtube here.
December 25: Symphonic Suite Yamato 2202 LP
Just because they like us, Columbia slipped in another vinyl release to take its place alongside the 2024 Mix, an LP version of Symphonic Suite 2202, originally released on CD in January 2021.
Listen to it on Youtube here
Order it from Amazon.co.jp here or CD Japan here
December 25: Hobby Japan #668
The last issue of the year offered five pages of coverage, four dedicated to the new 3199 model kit and another for part 3 of the ongoing Yamato Mechanics series, this time spotlighting the Cosmo Hound.
Click here to read it
Photo posted on Twitter by aoi2199
December 26: REBEL 3199 Chapter 2 closes
After playing for four weeks and going into a bonus 5th, Chapter 2 finally left theaters. Loyal fans who saw it on the last day in the four held-over theaters reported attendance was still strong right up to the end. They exited their screenings to see NEW Yamato merch already on shelves in the gift shops since the Special Selection program would begin the next day.
December 26: Figure King Vol. 323
In a fabulous bit of timing, this issue of the hobby/toy magazine from World Photo Press published a fabulous cover story for the 50th anniversary. Stretching over an incredible 42 pages, it contains a treasure trove of production art from Series 1 punctuated by interviews with three design veterans and an extensive model kit history.
Read the article here.
December 26: Minpo Online article
Anyone on the lookout for a primer for the Yamato phenomenon got it today from Minpo Online when writer Tatsuya Masudo raced through the high points and added some of his own personal insights as a viewer who grew up on the original. For example:
I myself watched the first TV series when I was in the 5th grade, and my father, who grew up during the war, would immediately change the channel to NHK when an anime started. (At the time there was only one TV in the household and fathers had control over the channel.) Thus, it was strange that he allowed me to watch Yamato, saying “This anime is good.”
Read the entire article here
Photos posted on Twitter by imakenken1
December 27: Special Selection Screening, Program 1
Studio Khara’s next phase of 50th anniversary celebration began today when remastered versions of TV episodes 2, 3, and 7 were shown on the big screen in 46 theaters across Japan. Like REBEL 3199, each of the three programs has its own free handout to moviegoers: an A4-size mini poster with poster images on both sides (shown above).
These are not new images; they were originally created by artist Toshihiro Kawamoto (based on the Leiji Matsumoto style) for video jackets released by Bandai Emotion in 1998. But they are just as attention-grabbing today as they were then.
December 27: Theater goods
If you didn’t see THIS coming, you must be new here. Theater gift shops had fresh merch to accompany these screenings, either designed or commissioned by Studio Khara. The lineup included some safe choices (clear files and T-shirts) and some intriguing experiments as well, two of which became instant hits.
The top sellers were a tea mug decorated with quotes from Captain Okita and an acrylic stand mimicking the WMG cross gauge with multiple backdrops. These products were the first to disappear from theater shelves and sold out very quickly when offered online that same day.
Click here for a comprehensive photo gallery.
That’s page 2 of 3. Click here for the big finish!