Regular followers of the Cosmo DNA Facebook page are familiar with “Yamatunes for Tuesday,” a weekly drop of amazing online music discoveries. The reach of Yamato music is far and wide with incredible energy and variety, guaranteed to lift your spirits. Here’s an extensive roundup of Yamatunes for easy access whenever you need it.
Compiled by Tim Eldred and Anton Mei Brandt. All links current as of April 2021
Concert Performances
Yamato Grand Symphony
All fans should make time for this classic performance from 1984, the only concert from the original production years to be released commercially. It was written by Kentaro Haneda, who performs on piano throughout. It’s been released many times on CD and home video, but this Youtube posting has endured throughout.
Click here to read all about the concert
Yamato Symphony Suite
The holy trinity of the Yamato theme all on a single stage! Hiroshi Miyagawa conducts his 12-minute Yamato suite with help from lead vocalist Isao Sasaki and backup Kazuko Kawashima. This single performance sets the bar for all others.
Yamato Suite by Sobi Wind Orchestra, 2013
Akira Miyagawa conducting a 10-minute suite created by his father Hiroshi.
Osaka Shion joint ensemble, 2015
Akira Miyagawa conducts this concert on a seaside stage in Osaka
Selections from Yamato 2199 Concert 2015
This spectacular concert was divided between music from 2199 and Ark of the Stars with numerous orchestral and vocal performances. Read all about the event here. See four pieces here:
Yamato theme | Cosmo Tiger theme | Yamato into the Maelstrom | Great Harmony
Yamato into the Maelstrom on two pianos
Akia Miyagawa and his daughter Chiko carry on the family tradition in this dual performance
Mt Fuji Kawaguchiko Music Festival
Father and daughter performed Maelstrom live on stage in this 2020 event.
Click here to watch (starts at 40:00)
Yamato choral suite, 2012
Performed by the Takamatsu Daiichi High School Chorus Club.
Orchestral concert, 2014
An impressive 45-minute all-Yamato concert performed in Sumida’s 2014 music festival, featuring a boys and girls choir.
American performance, 2008
The Port Angeles, WA. High School Mondo-Band performs the Yamato theme for the first time on US soil.
American performance, 2014
The Georgia Philharmonic performs the 2199 version of the Yamato theme at Anime Weekend Atlanta 20.
USMC Band, 2012
The US Marine Corps III MEF Band Performs the Yamato theme at the Festival of Japan-US Friendship & Appreciation in Okinawa.
Yamato suite, 2013
10-minute suite performed by Hiroshima City Harmony Symphonic Band (an amateur citizens’ orchestra).
BGM medley, 2015
A spectacular multimedia stage performance at the Japan Budokan (SDF music festival 2015).
BGM Concert, 2013
A wide-ranging, concert of Yamato BGM by the Wakabayashi brass band, posted in multiple segments
Kindergarten concert
No kidding. A multi-part concert by the 5-year-old Fusadai Kindergarten Ensemble in Abiko City, Chiba Prefecture.
BGM Highlights, 2017
Performed at the Summer Concert by the JGSDF Eastern Area Band in Asaka, Saitama Prefecture.
Original Vocalists
Isao Sasaki, 1978
Sasaki performs on Endo Satellite Studio in very close quarters with his adoring fans (Yamato theme starts at 8:20).
Isao Sasaki with Hiroshi Miyagawa
The exact time frame for this one is unknown, but it’s a terrific show with both men in their prime.
Isao Sasaki, 1999
Sasaki owned the stage at the Super Robot Spirits 1999 concert, which kicked off a new wave of appearances at “anison” concerts in the 21st century.
Isao Sasaki, 2006
Sasaki on stage with Akira Miyagawa at the NHK TV special Melody of Memories.
Isao Sasaki, 2008
Performing the Yamato theme with backup from an army of famous “anison” singers.
Kenji Sawada
A live performance by the original singer of From Yamato With Love, 1978
Yucca
The Universe Expanding into Infinity vocal was sung by Yucca for the 2010 live-action movie and for Yamato 2199.
See her perform it live on two separate occasions: 2011 concert | 2012 concert and .
Those Who Know the Beautiful Earth
Aki Misato does a new studio performance of this end theme from Yamato 2199.
Star of Love
Nana Mizuki’s 2014 live performance of this end theme from Yamato 2199, which appears on her album Supernal Liberty.
In a gift to her fans during the pandemic, Nana Mizuki posted an acapella version of Star of Love on Twitter in April 2020. Within a few hours, fans reposted it with their own musical accompaniment (all recorded in quarantine), and the results were nothing short of amazing. No two responses were exactly alike, and everyone found something new to do with the arrangement. Each runs about a minute-thirty, so settle in and enjoy.
Professional Musicians
Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra, 2020
It’s quite common to hear medleys of Yamato and Galaxy Express 999. Here’s a prime example from the Osaka Shion Wind Orchestra.
Osaka Shion Brass Section, 2020
After all public concerts were called off for most of 2020, countless “remote” shows popped up on Youtube, making it one of the most prolific years for Yamato music. Here, the brass section of Osaka Shion belts out their version of the Yamato theme.
Aloha Band, 2020
As orchestras got better at remote performances, they grew to outstanding proportions. The colorful Aloha Band is well known for dynamic arrangements of the Yamato theme, two of which are available: concert band version solo & chorus version.
Kitakyushu Orchestra
Not to be outdone, the Kitakyushu Grand Philharmonic Orchestra delivered their own version with a focus on brass and strings with a baritone singer.
Foresta Men’s Chorus, 2020
This group specializes in ballads of the 70s and 80s, and they produced this version of the Yamato theme by arrangement with Showa 40 Man magazine.
Chor Stella, 2020
This opera choir raised the bar with their remote ensemble performance of the Yamato theme with all four verses.
Lilium
Lilium specializes in Celtic-style ballads, and she has covered the Yamato theme in her own amazing style several times: August 2018 | October 2019 | November 2019 | February 2020 | March 2020
Misato Hatozaki
This performer is a highly expressive flutist with several albums to her name. She worked with her arranger Kenji Kanemasu to create a Yamato fugue that has to be heard to be believed.
Great Love
WCDA (Will Cinderella Dance Again) is a techno/house band that does fascinating rearrangements of classic anime songs. They’ve covered several Yamato themes, all of which can be found at Apple Music.
Velvet Eden Dada
No idea what to make of this one, but it’s certainly unlike any other Yamato theme cover.
MiQ: I Remember You
Formerly known as Mio, this 80s anime singer was a little too late to perform a Yamato song, but she did a haunting cover of this melody from Farewell live at Anime Weekend Atlanta 20.
Concerto Moon
This hard rock band did an EP of Yamato themes in 1997, and it still holds up. The entire content of their CD can be heard here.
Takeshi Terauchi, 1980
Takeshi Terauchi was a legendary guitarist who worked with both Hiroshi Miyagawa and vocalist Kazuko Kawashima on this cover of the Yamato theme, which makes it 100% authentic.
Groovy Yamato
The name of this vintage 70s rock band might be TBJ, but it hardly matters. Yamato doesn’t get any groovier or funkier than this.
The Spaceship Yamato
A cover with completely new English lyrics, powerfully delivered by Animetal USA
Wave-Motion Gun
Sicko is a three-man self-described pop-punk band from Seattle that formed in the early 90s. They are evidently also members of the Star Blazers generation, since few others could put together a song this cool and catchy.
The Alfee
As the undisputable kings of Yamato rock, The Alfee started the same year Yamato first launched (1974) and their paths decisively crossed when the band recorded two songs for Resurrection in 2009. Lead guitarist Toshihiko “Takamiy” Takamizawa also regularly makes From Yamato With Love part of his set.
2009 rock theme | 2015 performance | various performances, 2015-2019 | From Yamato With Love (2016)
Live Public Performances
Street Piano
Wataru Sumi belted out this Yamato theme in Kobe, dedicating it to medical professionals fighting Covid.
Anime Song Orchestra, 2019
A joint concert by Shizusho Music Club & Shiroyama Junior High School held at the Shizuoka Hobby Show in 2019. Yamato theme starts at about 42:00.
Yamato in Panama
This amazing performance is by the Banda De Musica Virgilio Escala PPS, a student band belonging to the Pedro Pablo Sanchez High School in La Chorrera, Panama. This may be, to date, the largest group of musicians ever to play the theme live, onstage or off. Read more about it here.
NYPD band in Tokyo
The NYPD marching band has been performing the Yamato theme for years at events like the Macy’s Parade and Japan festivals. In 2019, they brought it back to Japan for the World Policeman Concert.
NYPD band in New York
An earlier performance by the NYPD marching band, this time in Central Park on Japan Day 2010.
Yamato theme
2010 cafe performance by guitar duo “Haga & Naru,” who absolutely NAIL IT.
Navy band, 2010
Japanese naval bands regularly play Yamato themes at public events. This one came from the 2010 Ise Bay Marine festival.
MSDF band, 2016
The Maritime Self-Defense Force band performs both the Universe Expanding and Yamato themes several times a year and are all over Youtube. This performance took place at the 2016 Spring Shinbu Festival Twilight Concert in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture.
MSDF band, 2019
Here’s another performance by the MSDF band, this time on board Memorial Battleship Mikasa in Yokosuka City.
Electone solo, 2015
Electone organs are very popular home instruments in Japan. This one is enthusiastically played by “Yuria” at the Enmonkan Beauty & Music Festa.
Comedy show
Yamato music can also be played strictly for laughs. Here’s a rendition of The Universe Expanding into Infinity to lure out a space goddess. Watch what happens.
Kure train station
The original IJN Yamato was built at a naval shipyard in Kure City. Now that shipyard is the site of the Battleship Yamato Museum, and the local train station has its own special jingle.
Click here for Volume 2: the fans get in on the act!