Yamato, weigh anchor! Recreate the timeless scene from Space Battleship Yamato with a 1/200 scale diorama!
Published at Hobby Japan Web, Oct 9, 2025. See the original post here
Diorama Production and Text by Takuji Yamada
SOS Earth! Revive Space Battleship Yamato!
Recreate that legendary scene in a 1/200 scale diorama!
In 1945, during the final days of the Pacific War, the battleship Yamato sank to the seabed off Cape Bo, the southernmost tip of Kyushu. However, indiscriminate attacks from the Garmillas Empire’s planet bombs caused the sea to evaporate. After over 250 years, its decayed form resurfaced. Earth used the wreckage of the Yamato as a cover to build a space battleship. This vessel was equipped with a Wave-Motion Engine, developed based on blueprints brought from the planet Iscandar.
That iconic scene, depicted in the first TV series Space Battleship Yamato and its remake series Yamato 2199, has been modeled once again by the master diorama artist, Takuji Yamada. Previously created at 1/350 scale, this time it has been scaled up to 1/200. A more meticulously detailed “decayed battleship Yamato” has been completed.
Etching parts use Tamiya 1/350 scale handrails. The wires hanging from the bridge and masts are 0.3mm diameter flexible wire (lead wire). Sewing thread was also used in areas prone to breaking during construction.
The diorama primarily uses Fujimi 1/200 scale accessory series items: Battleship Yamato Bridge, Battleship Yamato Type 94 46cm Triple Main Gun Turret, Battleship Yamato Central Structure, and Battleship Yamato Central Structure Outer Hull. The base was shaped by cutting and molding Styrofoam, then layering paper towels (non-woven fabric) soaked in wood glue and dissolved in water to form a papier-mache-like structure. The diorama measures approximately 60cm wide × 40cm deep × 30cm high.
This scene is synonymous with Space Battleship Yamato: the sunken, rust-red remains of the former battleship Yamato. The subsequent scene where the outer hull is peeled away to reveal the Space Battleship Yamato is a legendary moment, repeatedly depicted in all subsequent remakes and reboots.
Previously, I recreated this using another company’s 1/350 scale Yamato, but this time I used Fujimi’s larger 1/200 scale kit. This is part of their 1/200 Equipment Series, sold as separate parts: “Bridge,” “Central Structure,” “Central Structure Outer Shell,” and “Main Guns.” Beyond its size, the standout feature is that all parts snap-fit together, making assembly easy even for beginners. It’s heartening to see the manufacturer’s thoughtful consideration to make plastic modeling accessible to a wide audience. While the assembly is straightforward, the fine details are excellent for 1/200 scale. The kit was perfect as-built, but I decided to add a few handrails.
Using the official etching parts would have been easy, but the cost was prohibitive. I decided to overlook the slightly smaller size and used Tamiya’s 1/350 scale handrails instead. Since this is the sunken Yamato, the official parts would have been slightly too high-quality for depicting a damaged state. These handrails are designed to be assembled by threading wire through the etching parts’ supports, which was great because it allowed for adjustments and fitting to various sections.
Observing the ship in the anime, wires hang down from the bridge and masts, so I glued on 0.3mm diameter flexible wire (lead wire). For areas prone to snapping during construction, I also used sewing thread.
The base is sized for the Yamato at 60×40cm. I cut out Styrofoam, then placed the Yamato model on it and cut along its outline. I fixed it in a heavily right-leaning position, like in the anime. Styrofoam was carved to create the deck’s undulating surface. Normally, clay or wall repair compound would be used for coating, but the shrinkage during hardening would warp the base. Instead, I layered paper towels (non-woven fabric) soaked in a solution of wood glue diluted with water, forming a papier-mache-like structure. The finish was achieved by applying crushed red clay soil bonded with wood glue.
Yamato‘s paint job: Applied red primer as a base, then sprayed white surfacer from above. Lightly sprayed yellow-orange and orange over that. Finished by applying rust-colored pigment dissolved in water-based acrylic solvent. For the ground, mixed Tamiya Texture Paint Sand with Dark Earth, Orange, and Yellow Ochre to create a reddish-brown earth color, then thinned with water-based acrylic solvent and applied with a brush.