Yamato World got busier as the last month of waiting for Chapter 4 fell off the calendar. Fresh concerts, an advance screening, new publishing, and an actual for-real model kit led the charge for September 2025. Here are those high points and everything in between…

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 5: Official tweet

A major milestone was announced when the Yamato Production Committee posted this photo on Twitter, featuring General Director Harutoshi Fukui, Makoto Furukawa (Alphon), Houku Kuwashima (Yuki), Daisuke Ono (Kodai), and Director Naomichi Yamato. The caption read:

The REBEL 3199 series has completed voice recording for the final episode. Thank you very much to all the cast members for your wonderful performances! The voyage of the Space Battleship Yamato, which continues for over half a century…please be sure to see it through the final chapter.

Some took this announcement to mean that the series itself is about to end, but that is not the case. Voice recording is one of many steps in production that will still take many months to complete, especially considering the complexities of the CG visuals. There are 12 more episodes to go after Chapter 4, and they could take up to a year. On the other hand, the photo implies that we’ll be hearing from Alphon, Yuki and Kodai in the final episode, which all by itself tells us how different the ending will be in the remake.

September 6 & 7: HOBAS display at Otaru Anime Party

Once a year, the city of Otaru in Hokkaido hosts an anime-related event that brings together fans in the northern prefectures. That makes it a perfect place for HOBAS (Hokkaido Space Battleship Yamato Fan Club) to display its model kit collection for the public.

See a photo gallery of the display here

See the event website here

September 6: Realsound article

In anticipation of Yamato‘s return to theaters on October 10, the entertainment website Realsound published a historical article to address a common question: “Wasn’t Leiji Matsumoto the original author of Space Battleship Yamato?”

Read their analysis here

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 8: Ferry launch

In Hiroshima Prefecture, a new ferry serving passengers to the world heritage site on Miyajima [island] was launched on this day. The fact that this news gets an entry in Yamato history should tell you what theme song was played to commemorate the launch.

If you’re still wondering, find out Youtube 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 12: REBEL 3199 Chapter 4 music video

The first musical sounds of the upcoming chapter were heard when a music video for the new end title song premiered on Youtube. It was explained in the following article:

Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199: Sasha Sings the Ending Theme for Chapter 4

Posted on Mantan Web; see the original article here

It has been announced that Megumi Han’s character song, Hikari no Nami (Wave of Light), will be the ending theme for REBEL 3199 Chapter 4, Pale Blue Maiden/Sasha in the latest installment of the popular anime remake series. The song will be available on various music platforms from September 30th. The album jacket and music video, featuring an original illustration of Sasha, have also been released.

Lyricist Yohei Matsui commented, “Sasha’s existence felt like a wave in this story. Her swaying is like wind, sound, and a wave that takes the form of light. All of these guide the ship. I hope this song will be remembered for years to come, as it depicts the wake of Yamato‘s voyage.”

Composer and arranger Shu Kanematsu stated, “The story unfolds on an even more spectacular scale in Chapter 4, but for the ending song I received requests like, ‘Without Getting Too Big’ and ‘The World as Seen by Sasha,’ so I composed a song that has a nostalgic feel like a lullaby, while also containing strong emotions. I think the combination of Yohei Matsui’s beautiful words and Megumi Han’s one-of-a-kind vocals has resulted in a very delicate lullaby. I hope you enjoy it along with the main story.”

As announced, the full song was available for download from various streaming platforms at the end of the month. This includes Apple Music, where it can be found by the name “Hikari no Nami.”

Translation notes from Anton Mei Brandt:

Poignantly written and beautifully composed by 3199’s co-composer Shu Kanematsu, this is our first real “character song” since Teresa’s Mirror of the Moon from 2202 (sung by the voice actor). In keeping with themes of the past and present, the text not only hearkens back to Sasha’s fated death from the original work, but also to her role as the next-generation Sasha, following in the footsteps of the original voice actor Keiko Han (Megumi’s mother) who currently plays Mother Dezarium.

Waves here can be both sound waves and “Wave-Motion (Energy)” – core to Yamato’s identity as a ship powered by resonance and energy that travels far beyond known limits and generations alike, carrying messages that transcend eras. Both joy and pain push characters onward through their odyssey, where sacrifices and memories alike forge something tangible. For older fans, this instantly evokes images of Sasha sacrificing Iscandar to stop Goruba, or Sasha sacrificing herself to bring down Dezarium in Be Forever Yamato (1980), with the desperate hope that today’s Sasha can escape this destiny.

Why does my heart sway
whenever someone calls my name?
Each tiny moment is just a faint twinkle,
yet the voice crosses the sea.

The more they resonate, the waves travel farther,
carried beyond time, finding their way.
Joy and pain alike stir my chest,
reaching toward tomorrow,
giving form to life…

Right now, I choose to believe in my feelings,
as strongly as I sense that I am here.
For countless prayers are born this way,
and they reach you,
shaping the future forever…

September 12: Girls & Panzer collaboration

The 10th anniversary of Girls & Panzer lined up with the 50th anniversary of Yamato, so they were combined in this illustration by an artist who works on them both: Michio Murakawa.

The piece was featured on various products (including a clear file, of course), and the following comment from the artist was shared online:

The mecha in both Yamato and Girlpan are currently CG works, but I tried to stick to a hand-drawn feel. The lines are tattered and distorted rather than neat and sharp, but they reflect the time and experience of long use. I hope to convey the presence of ships and tanks alongside people. There are some parts where the details are a little off, but please forgive me since this is just part of the hand-drawn feel. At the rough stage, I was thinking of just making it a normal blue sky, but I remembered the sunrise I saw on my morning walk when I visited Oarai some time ago, so I decided to paint it that way. I’ll be happy if you can see it while feeling the sun rising over the Pacific Ocean, and the seaside atmosphere.

We heard more from Murakawa this month on Bluesky; keep reading to find it.

September 12: Official tweets

You know a new chapter is getting close when things like this appear. The Yamato Production Committee released the sleeve art for the Chapter 4 blu-ray and the cover art for the storyboard book that will be bundled with the limited theater edition (both pieces by Character Designer Nobuteru Yuuki).

What’s more, the first item of theater merch was announced, a plush Sasha toy, accompanied by a photo of voice actor Megumi Han in the recording studio (probably on her last day as Sasha).

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 16: Edakio on Twitter

Kio “Edakio” Edamatsu is a Yamato designer and animator who we’ve heard from many times during the remake years. He reported in again on this day to share his latest thoughts, which speak for themselves above.

If you’d rather not squint:

I attended a preview screening for REBEL 3199 Chapter 4. In a certain scene, rather than simply repairing the mecha, the artwork was drawn with careful consideration of the emotions and context of that moment, and I felt that the visuals truly complemented the characters in the scene. It was the first time in over 13 years of being on board with this title that I felt such a strong sense of accomplishment.

Chapter 4 will begin screening on October 10. I assisted with the mecha animation direction, prop design, and art settings. I was delighted to see that in many scenes, the character animation had been further polished to be even more appealing than during the mecha animation direction work. Thank you for your kind attention.

September 18: Exhibition announcement

It was already known at the beginning of the month that the upcoming issue of Hobby Japan was going to be something special, featuring a massive Yamato cover story for the first time in years. To everyone’s surprise, it was announced that some of the new models created for the feature were about to be displayed in the lobby of the Shinjuku Piccadilly Theater. (Since the 1/100 Yamato model was still in another city.)

A new tribute illustration by JNTHED commemorating the 50th anniversary has been released!

Posted on V-Storage; see the original article here

Be Forever Yamato REBEL 3199 is the latest installment in the Yamato 2199 series, reinterpreting Be Forever Yamato and Yamato III with new interpretations. Chapter 4 of the 7-part series opens on Friday, October 10th.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the TV broadcast of the Yamato series, we will be releasing a tribute illustration by JNTHED, who has worked on the mecha design of many works, including the TV anime Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury.

From September 19th, a special exhibition of this illustration, as well as dioramas created for Hobby Japan, will be held at the entrance of the Shinjuku Piccadilly theater. Furthermore, at MOVIX Hiroshima Station, in addition to the 1/100 Yamato model currently on display, original artwork from REBEL 3199 Chapter 4 will be displayed from September 19th.

Two dioramas created as part of the Hobby Japan November issue project:

① The Decaying Battleship Yamato (Takuji Yamada), recreating one of the most famous scenes from Space Battleship Yamato.

② “Protect Yamato!” (Katsunari Tsunoda), inspired by the remake series Yamato 2205, The New Voyage.

September 19: Shinjuku Piccadilly display

The next day, the models and illustration were installed and fans swept in to grab photos and report their findings.

See it all here

September 19: REBEL 3199 Chapter 4 advance screening

The timing of the installation become obvious when the doors opened for the first chance to see Chapter 4. Fans who had scored tickets got to absorb Episodes 11-14 and stay for a talk show afterward featuring cast and staff members.

Read all about it here

September 19: Junichiro Tamamori on Twitter

The final countdown was now on for the next addition to your Yamato library, the much-anticipated Yamato Mechanics Art Collection by Junichiro Tamamori. On this day he revealed its format. Over the next few days, preorders would start to be filled by mail. Bookstores would have it in stock on the 30th.

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. This is your latest reminder that Isao Sasaki has not yet retired.

September 23: Hobby Japan Web

The website for Hobby Japan magazine reprinted the 11th installment of Yamato Mechanics, featuring the Type 5 Mobile Space Armor.

See the article here

See it translated here

September 24: Kia Asamiya exhibition opens

For a period of six days, paintings previously displayed in Asamiya’s Kurogane gallery show were mounted again in Yokohama’s Honeycomb Gallery in a venue called the Red Brick Warehouse. Among other things, it gave Asamiya a chance to return to the live painting he was unable to complete in late August at Kama Con.

See photos of the exhibition here

September 25: Hobby Japan #677

The Yamato cover story in this issue may be the largest ever, consuming over 60 pages. It was divided into two sections, original series and remake series, with a chef’s-kiss selection of modeling derived from each. This includes modified Bandai kits, heavily modified Bandai kits, and a few scratch builds. The models seen at the Shinjuku Piccadilly display got multiple pages.

Also featured was part 12 of the continuing Yamato Mechanics series, spotlighting the Goruba. Look for a translation of this in next month’s report.

Amazon.co.jp is sold out of the magazine as of this writing, but you can still order it from CD Japan here.

September 27: Leiji Matsumoto exhibition opens

The Kitakyushu Manga Museum became the latest venue for Leiji-sha’s 50th anniversary observation of Galaxy Express 999, with the customary Yamato/Harlock/other titles on display as well. It was scheduled to remain in residence through January 2026.

The museum’s Twitter account posted photos of the ad campaign, which had taken over the monorail station in nearby Kokura. (Above right)

See more info the official website here

September 28: Hobby Japan Web

A second Yamato article appeared on HJW in September, this one directly promoting the upcoming October premiere of 3199 Chapter 4 with selected stills.

See the article here

September 29: Bic Camera tweet

Camera stores in Japan sell a lot more than cameras. They are, in fact, full-service department stores where, among other things, you can buy the latest plastic models from Bandai. Today the Bic Camera store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, helped to promote Chapter 4 with a display of Yamato models.

See their photos on Twitter here

September 29: 50th anniversary commemorative coin

Imperial Enterprises Inc (IEI) was founded in 1982 with the mission of creating unique products such as jewelry, apparel, and watches with direct-mail delivery to customers. This has led them to collaborate on Yamato collectibles before, and this 50th anniversary coin is the latest.

Preorders opened today at the Premico online store, and Anime Anime published the following article about it:

Space Battleship Yamato Over ¥700,000! A colored gold coin featuring the first film’s theatrical poster design is now available, complete with a music box playing the opening theme.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Space Battleship Yamato, a large, official color coin made of pure gold has been released. It comes with a special music box inspired by a “Ship’s Log” and features the opening theme. Only 100 coins are available at the premium character goods online store PREMICO.

This is a specially-minted coin, limited to just 100, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the historic masterpiece Space Battleship Yamato, which first aired in 1974. This top-quality proof coin features a 99.99% pure gold coin with a large 50mm diameter, and features the theatrical poster for the first Space Battleship Yamato film, vividly rendered using cutting-edge casting technology, in the signature style of Leiji Matsumoto.

The image of the Yamato crew departing for Iscandar, defying the fate of their dying planet, is a symbol of hope, friendship, and the courage to face adversity. This glorious page of youth, a time that brought romance and excitement to people’s hearts, is captured in dazzling gold.

The coin will be delivered in a specially commissioned, luxurious music box. Opening the lid, designed to resemble a ship’s logbook, plays the melody of the classic Yamato theme, a thoughtful touch that adds layers of joy to both viewing and collecting. Immerse yourself in the world of Space Battleship Yamato while humming the song and experiencing the infinite expanse of the universe.

The “Space Battleship Yamato 50th Anniversary Large Official Pure Gold Coin” is priced at ¥714,780 (tax included). Only 100 coins will be issued, with shipments scheduled for late February 2026. To purchase, please visit the PREMICO Online Shop product page.

September 29: Tristar tweet

What in god’s name are we looking at here? The post from Tristar Corp (a vinyl toy maker) explains it for us:

Space Battleship Yamato × Soft Vinyl Artist Migupiro collaboration release confirmed! At Super Festival 92 held today, colored samples were displayed for the first time. It is a highly anticipated work that fuses the world of Yamato with Mr. Migupiro’s modeling. Details on the release date and purchase method will be announced later on this account. Please look forward to it!

September 30: 1/1000 Hyuga model

Back in the plamo world, Bandai finally delivered its long-awaited 1/1000 Hyuga model kit, completing the 65th fleet as seen in Yamato 2205. Box art was by the mighty Kia Asamiya, and the kit inside came with numerous features.

■ Details beneath the flight deck mimic the storage cylinders. Enjoy positioning your aircraft wherever you like.
■ In addition to the Cosmo Tiger II (x4), the kit also includes newly sculpted Cosmo Python (x6) and Cosmo Seagull aircraft (x2).
■ Compatible with the separately sold LED unit.
■ Includes a display base.

See a photo gallery of finished kits here

Visit Bandai’s product page here

September 30: Metal keyholders announced

If for some reason you don’t have enough Yamato keyholders yet, here come six new ones from the NIC (New Item Creative) Company. The lineup consists of the Yamato logo, 50th anniversary logo, Yamato, a Cosmo Zero, a Black Tiger, and Analyzer.

They made their debut in the capsule vending machines all over Japan in October.

September 30: Yamato Mechanics Art Collection

Even the basic idea of this book is irresistible: a comprehensive full color treasure trove of Junichiro Tamamori’s mecha designs for the remake series from early sketches to finished renders. Every Earth-based spacecraft and fightercraft from 2199 to 3199. It took 13 years and over 300 pages to get to us, but it is now within reach.

Adding to this already formidable package is a preface containing what looks like Tamamori’s entire pre-remake phase, all the art he produced as a fan on his personal website Yamato Mechanics (which started in 2001). This was the body of work that got him hired for 2199, and in deference to the anime series he took the site down when he “went pro.” This is now the only source for the groundbreaking work that was once posted there.

There is also a section devoted to his illustrations for products and book covers, and an extensive conversation with Tamamori, Hideaki Anno and Yutaka Izubuchi. The book is designed in landscape format with a slipcase to keep it protected for future generations.

Not surprisingly, the first print run sold out quickly, but soon came back into stock at both Amazon.co.jp and CD Japan. Order your copy…if you still can!

September 30: First theater goods announced

A week and a half out from the premiere of 3199 Chapter 4, the Twitter account of the Yamato Production Committee made its first announcements regarding merch to accompany the film. Many more followed, all of which will be rounded up in the next report. Meanwhile, visit the Twitter account here.

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