There are easily enough Yamato sites and monuments in Japan to fill a week, and we made it our mission to find them all. A lot of planning had to be wrestled to the ground, but our mutual passion for Adventure Roman got us everywhere we wanted to go. And we’re proud to submit the photographic proof.
Founded in 1956, Toei Studio was the birthplace of the world’s first full-color anime feature films. One reason we made the pilgrimage to this mecca is because three of the Space Battleship Yamato movies were made here. Also, it’s the only animation studio in Tokyo actually open to the general public.
Just south of Hiroshima lies the port city of Kure, the building site of history’s largest battleship, the Yamato. Today the Battleship Yamato Museum occupies the exact spot where the original was constructed and pays homage to both this engineering marvel and the city that was its cradle.
A confluence of numbers and themes inspired the city of Tsuruga to build the Matsumoto Symbol Road for the city’s 100th anniversary, choosing to commemorate both Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato as shining examples of science, progress, imagination, and journeys to distant lands.
Yamato Party is an event run by Masaru Enomoto, the unofficial leader of the fan community. Formerly known as the top Yamato collector in the entire country (until he sold off most of his acquisitions), he now pours his boundless passion and energy into this one event, and you feel it from the moment you step in.
Who are the Yamato fans of today, and what do they do to keep the flame lit? Meet some of them face to face and see what they had to offer their fellow fans at Yamato Party 2009…
