Presenting historical research in timeline form is always a tricky undertaking, because history seldom reveals itself in chronological order. New stuff always pops up after you thought a subject was closed, and your original mission statement demands that it be accommodated. In the Vintage Report series, this was handled with occasional roundups of accumulated backlog. The series has run its course, but the backlog still rolls in.
If your preference is to see it in historical context, no worries; all of this has been threaded into the Vintage Reports. But if you just want to browse what’s been found since your last check-in, this page is here to serve.
1977
November 20: Isao Sasaki on TV
Here’s a rare instance of Isao Sasaki singing the Yamato theme on a TV show (titled Let’s Go Young) with a specific airdate attached. Special thanks to “on hobby” for posting this gem on Twitter!
1978
January 12: Zero No. 1 doujinshi
The “Hamidashi” (split off) Space Battleship Yamato Fan Club was loosely organized, but unknowingly performed some absolutely heroic acts for the sake future historians. This included a limited-edition reprint of Yuki Hijiri’s Yamato manga in January 1978, the same month they published issue 1 of their doujinshi, titled Zero.
It contained a personal account of Tokon 6 in 1976 (read it here), and a once-in-a-lifetime accidental interview with Yoshinobu Nishizaki on the day the first Yamato movie premiered in theaters (read it here).
See Zero No. 1 from cover to cover here
July 20: SF Movies and Tokusatsu, Grand Feature
Small-format paperbacks with big page counts were popularized by Kodansha with the “Keibunsha” series, and another publisher named Jitsugyo Japan Co. had their own version called the “Children’s Pocket Encyclopedia.” This particular volume brought everyone up to date on SF works (while Star Wars was conveniently playing in Japanese theaters), including entries on home-grown favorites.
August 13: Moreover, Space Battleship Yamato, Warriors of Laughter doujinshi
“Space Battleship Yamato Fan Club F4 Phantom II” published this 28-page collection of cartoons based on the first Yamato series. A copy was provided to Cosmo DNA by friend-of-the-website Chris de la Bigne (Retroanimechris).
See Moreover from cover to cover here
See more of Chris’ finds here
September 1: Japan Movies 1978
Haga Shoten [Publishing] catered to cineastes with a 244-page digest rounding up info on all the films made in Japan the previous year, which happened to include the first Yamato movie. There was no description beyond the image shown above, but the rest of the book was an absolute feast of essays, pictorials, and data on 1977 cinema.
September 15: Space Battleship Yamato Vol. 2 doujinshi
Except for the name, everything about this doujinshi from a fan club named “Office Yamato” was humble. It consisted of animation layouts from Farewell to Yamato.
See it from cover to cover here
October 31: Mother Town Vol. 4 doujinshi
“Yamato Fan Club Mother Town” made entertainment their mission, filling up a very impressive 84 pages with fanfic, parody manga, commentary, and more.
See it from cover to cover here
November 11: TV Guide Vol. 840
Over and above the standard weekly broadcast listings, this issue featured a multi-page “Popular Anime Encyclopedia” that gave a rundown of all the current shows, including Yamato 2. The intro read:
Popular manga and anime will likely dominate the market this holiday season again. Here is a massive special feature on everything from original stories to secret weapons. Save this book for winter break and become an “anime expert”!
December 15: Space Battleship Yamato Vol. 3 doujinshi
This volume from the unofficial (but official sounding) “Office Yamato” delivered something much rarer than it should be: animation layouts from Yamato 2.
See it from cover to cover here
December 15: Solar Bird No. 4 doujinshi
Its cover makes it look like a Yamato fanzine, but this issue of Solar Bird was more a vehicle for essays on anime characters. The writers (named “Zero”, “Ota Emikata”, and “0002”) had a lot to say in these 48 pages. Among its entries were a piece on Dessler’s authoritarianism and another on the “universal love” concept at the core of Farewell to Yamato. A copy was provided to Cosmo DNA by friend-of-the-website Chris de la Bigne (Retroanimechris), who has this to add:
The artwork is particularly good even though the production is very cheap. This particular issue celebrated, as per the byline, “Adult Heroes and Anti-Villains.” It is a journal full of criticism on specific characters from the early to late 1970s and is quite mature in its dissections of characters who would have otherwise been deemed villains. Several passages seek to humanize Dessler, for instance, and sympathize with him as a character overall. There is a BL (Boy’s Love) slant here and there as well as perspectives on female characters.
See Solar Bird from cover to cover here
See more of Chris’ finds here
Also spotted in 1978:
Microcomputer kit promotion
Shown here is an ad from “New Japan Planning Co.” that deployed Yamato images to attract a very specific kind of hobbyist. The text reads:
Enjoy the thrill of entering the block twice
Space Age New Type
It’s full of new and exciting features!
This has a two-part blocking method. Yamato teleports by using space warp, doubling the fun of the game.
The game becomes more difficult with 3 patterns. By swapping turns, the difference between players (beginner and experienced) is reduced, and the game time is shortened.
Bottom half:
Tabletop Micon Kit Part III
Space Micon
(three game patterns show Yamato facing off against what looks like the Comet Empire)
1979
March 14: Popular Anime Graffiti
High 1st Course, Gakken’s student digest for 10th graders, grabbed the attention of anime fans with this supplement attached to the April 1979 issue. It was a 48-page extra, packed full of information on favorite anime programs, historical retrospectives, voice actor profiles, fan club info, and more.
Yamato figured prominently with a 4-page spotlight, an overview of how anime is made, and a profile on Leiji Matsumoto.
Read these articles here
March 15: Space Battleship Yamato doujinshi Vol. 4
Unless more of these emerge from the mists, this appears to be the last issue of a nice mini-series from “Office Yamato” featuring animation layout art. This one delivered more from early episodes of Yamato 2.
See it from cover to cover here
April 5: The World of Locke the Superman
What’s a book like this doing here? Well, if you like Locke, it’s a very nice 96-page compendium of Yuki Hijiri’s manga and illustration work for his most famous character. Hopefully, though, the name Yuki Hijiri rings a different bell for you by now.
He was one of three artists who produced a Space Battleship Yamato manga for the first series in 1974, in six consecutive issues of Terebiland. In a time when Yamato was riding high, two pages of this book reminded everyone of Hijiri’s nearly forgotten contribution.
Right side:
Beyond the boundless universe…a journey of 148,000 light years…to Iscandar
The Space Battleship Yamato heads toward its goal. Despite the relentless attack attacks of the alien invaders, the Gamilas, Yamato’s valiant figure shows no sign of fading. Advance, Yamato! Now, Earth is on the brink of death due to overwhelming radiation. Susumu Kodai, Daisuke Shima, Juuzo Okita, Sanada, Yuki Mori…
To save Earth, the passionate blood of young people burns fiercely in outer space.
The passionate feelings of that journey through the vast universe!
Now, enjoy the resurrected Hijiri edition of Yamato!
Left side:
Amid the excitement and passion of anime fans all over Japan, Space Battleship Yamato is caught in a melting pot of madness. This Yamato was drawn by Yuki Hijiri. He created a unique world with Locke the Superman. Now Yamato is here again, resurrected. Enjoy this sci-fi adventure romance with the Hijiri touch.
Read Yuki Hijiri’s Yamato manga here
May 9: Middle 1st Age, June issue
Two points of interest earned an entry for this issue of Obunsha’s student digest for 7th graders. First, right there on page 1, was an article announcing Leiji Matsumoto as the “King of Anime,” citing his authorship of Yamato and Galaxy Express 999.
His comment reads: “The world I depict is based on my everyday life. In one scene, the sky is clear and blue. Each insect seems to be telling me something. I want to continue creating works while cherishing this feeling that still lives on within me.”
Deeper in the issue was some promo for upcoming anime, including this passage:
You can see it!! Yamato‘s new story
Yamato 2 ended in April, but a new film will be broadcast as a 90-minute program on July 11th. This one-time broadcast is said to determine the future storyline of Yamato, so it’s something fans absolutely cannot miss.
The details are unclear, but a powerful new enemy has appeared, and Susumu Kodai has to face it. The story involves Dessler and the others working together to take on the enemy. New mecha will also be introduced.
July 9: Middle 2nd Year Course, August issue (supplement)
Gakken’s student digest for 8th graders came with an extra booklet titled Summer Taste Pack that gave kids all sorts of suggestions for how to spend summer vacation, including watching anime. The New Voyage was coming up at the end of the month, and the provocative tagline for it read “Days of Love and Suffering for Men.”
July 16: Japan Movies 1979
Following their digest from the previous year, Haga Shoten collected essays, critiques, and general data on all the films made in Japan in the year 1978. Anime barely made a blip the year before, but was now gaining steam with the undeniable impact of Farewell to Yamato. It only got the pictures shown above, but it was one more step into the mainstream.
July 27: Weekly TV Guide
In case news of The New Voyage had somehow gotten past you, TV Guide came to the rescue with a 2-page promo article in the issue that came out just four days before the premiere.
Relaunch! Save Iscandar!!
Yamato is revived! Damaged in battle with the White Comet Empire, Yamato has returned to Earth. However, with the emergence of the Dark Nebula Empire, which plots to conquer the universe, the ship must once again journey into space. Launch, Yamato! To save Iscandar and the the entire universe.
October 25: Kids in concert
On this date, the Watari District Elementary School (in Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan) held a concert. How do we know? Because they recorded it and released it on vinyl, presumably in very limited numbers. This represents a little-known subset of Yamato music, students performing the Yamato theme and schools preserving it for posterity.
December 15: 1979 Yamato doujinshi No. 10 & 11
“Yamato Studio” was the source for this 20-pager that apparently counted as a double issue at the close of the year. Their publishing continuity showed in their content, most of which took the form of peer-to-peer comments (the paper version of a message forum), a handful of fan art, and recent Yamato news.
See it from cover to cover here
December 23: Space Battleship Yamato parody doujinshis
Clocking in at 60 and 68 pages respectively, this 2-volume parody of the first series was single-handedly written and drawn over two years by an artist named Keiko Sasaki.
Self-described as “outrageous” and “terrifying,” it’s an accomplishment that speaks for itself without need of adjectives. The condition of the binding prevents them from being scanned safely for posting here, but let’s still salute a worthy effort.
1980
February 1: Terebi Kun, March issue
The ad shown above right promoted the “Terebi Kun Deluxe” Yamato Complete Collection, but there was more to catch the interest of fans in this issue: 4 pages of Blue Noah coverage and the 5th installment of the New Voyage anime comics.
See the pages here
February 1: Middle 1st Age special
Obunsha’s student digest for 7th graders rolled out an extra in the month of February that served as a deluxe version of the monthly magazine. It opened with color anime coverage and even included an original manga by Monkey Punch, creator of Lupin III.
There were no Yamato articles, but there was a full page of Yamato products available from Office Academy. This was part of a 4-page section on anime merch that was tailor-made for this age group.
See all 4 pages here
February 9: Middle 1st Age, March issue
Obunsha’s student digest for 7th graders published its first announcement of a new, as-yet-untitled Yamato movie coming in the summer. Based on early rumors, a “new generation” was going to step into the shoes of the crew to face off against a whole new enemy.
Read this interesting but misguided speculation here
May 9: Middle 1st Age, June issue
Obunsha’s student digest for 7th graders joined the parade with more news about “Yamato Part 3,” revealing the new key character:
Space Battleship Yamato Part 3 breaking news!!
The release date for Part 3 of the immensely popular Space Battleship Yamato has been set. The momentous day is August 2! The title is Be Forever Yamato. The main topic of Part 3 is undoubtedly Sasha, a beautiful 17 year-old girl. She is the child of Starsha and Mamoru Kodai, the older brother of Susumu Kodai.
You may remember that after Part 2 was released in theaters, a TV special called The New Voyage was aired, and Sasha was the baby born in that special. Apparently, she’ll be playing a major role in this part! Susumu Kodai, Yuki Mori, Daisuke Shima, and Shiro Sanada are all still there.
The content of the story, however, is something that Chief Producer Nishizaki has to keep secret from everyone. In any case, the central theme is “Love is about trusting each other,” and he says that he made this film hoping that viewers would understand this. The film depicts how to create a society where parents and children, men and women, and friends can all love each other. It is said to be told in a moving way.
Promotional pages in this issue pointed readers toward more Yamato content in a summer special (above left) and the next issue (above right). Both would be published in early June.
July 1: Terebi Kun, August issue
Tucked in between manga chapters, Terebi Kun offered a “Summer Vacation Movie Guide” to rivet readers’ attention on Be Forever Yamato, The Empire Strikes Back, Star Trek, and other films coming to theaters.
Yamato launch!! A journey of 40,000 light years…
Be Forever got two pages featuring the latest story synopsis and a handful of images to chew on.
July 1: 4th Grader, August issue
Be Forever Yamato coverage graced the pages of Shogakukan’s student digest for 4th graders. In addition to the story synopsis, the main text read as follows:
Space Battleship Yamato is coming back!
Do you remember Space Battleship Yamato in 1977 and Farewell to Yamato in 1978? Yamato vanished amidst a flurry of excitement. But Yamato is back this summer. Let’s get a sneak peek at the new anime Be Forever Yamato, full of mysteries and suspense, before its theatrical release.
July 1: 6th Grader, August issue
Shogakukan’s student digest for 6th graders didn’t carry a standalone Be Forever article, but did devote some space to it with this info:
Be Forever Yamato
Toei distribution, opening August 2
Yamato has returned after all. But the heroic figure of Yamato is once again in danger. A breathtaking masterpiece anime with twist after twist!
We’re giving away 30 tickets to a special roadshow theater, and poster vouchers. If you’d like one, please write “Yamato invitation, ticket request” on a postcard and send it to us.
Ah, Yamato!?
From July 20 to August 2, there will be a trip on a luxury cruise ship that has been remodeled to resemble Yamato, traveling from Kawasaki city to Miyazaki city in Kanagawa prefecture. Apparently, there will be movie screenings and various events with voice actors on board. We are so jealous!
Just below that was a cartoon with a curious pedigree. Here’s what it said:
Panel 1
Woman: I’m so happy I get to see Yamato this year, too!!
Man: Yamato, Wave-Motion Gun, fire!!!
Panel 2
Man: Underneath the onion, there’s another onion!! Wow, that gave me a start!
If you’re thinking these must be very specific references, you are correct. Here’s an explanation from friend-of-the-website Minoru Itgaki:
She is Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, and he is Hiroshi Kume. The two of them were the hosts of the TBS music show The Best Ten. Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has been a television personality since the early days of TV. Her show Tetsuko’s Room, which airs weekday afternoons on TV Asahi, has been running for over 50 years.
She has maintained her signature “onion-head” hairstyle. That’s why Kume used to say there was an onion under the onion.
July 29: Be Forever Yamato “Mystery Tour”
In May 2026, an anonymous poster on Twitter shared a memory from the spectacular summer of 1980, when another Be Forever event was just ten minutes away…
The “Mystery Train” tour departing from Ueno was actually more famous for Galaxy Express 999, but there was one for Yamato, too. I actually took part in this one. It was organized by Nippon Travel Agency. The timing was right before the release of Be Forever. Leiji Matsumoto appeared at the early morning send-off ceremony. I was hoping he’d come along with us…but he didn’t. (sob)
It was called a “train with an unknown destination,” and it was named Icarus-go. It ran on the Shin-Etsu Main Line. Even though it was for Be Forever, we had a traditional bento for lunch. It was kind of weird. The final stop was Iiyama Station, where we were welcomed by local junior high students, but we were treated like a sideshow. We couldn’t watch Be Forever at the community center, just the trailer. After that, Farewell was screened. “Don’t die!”
My lodging was at Madarao Plateau. After two nights, on the way back, I took a transformed sightseeing boat on Lake Nojiri. It was a ridiculous Yamato with a Wave Gun on the front and giant cardboard cutouts of Hijikata and Doctor Sado.
According to a news report from Mainichi Shimbun at the time, the passengers were asked to guess where the train was going while it was en route. This was part of an ongoing summer vacation program with over 25 “mystery trains” in circulation. The Icarus-go was essentially a pre-existing “mystery train” with a Yamato tie-in.
July 30: Mother Town Vol. 6 doujinshi
“Yamato Fan Club Mother Town” struck again with their next issue just before the premiere of Be Forever. A copy was provided to Cosmo DNA by friend-of-the-website Chris de la Bigne (Retroanimechris), who has this to add:
Mother Town refers to the port city in Iscandar’s ocean, though is a somewhat ambiguous reference to the group itself. The artists and organizers, while mysterious, appear to have been college age Yamato fans. This issue features tons of adult-themed works. While not hentai or yaoi in a conventional sense, all of the stories and art relate to pairings/shipping and sex in general, with erotic stories and adult works that are very challenging in nature, especially when they were published.
Alternating themes of BL and more are prevalent, and based on the bylines, this particular group seems to have gotten coverage in Animage from time to time in their ‘Best fan club’ lists and reviews. Vol. 6 was done at the height of the Aniparody movement and shows the work of some very dedicated Otaku. The art at times has some very direct influence from Gundam, primarily Yasuhiko’s style.
See Mother Town Vol. 6 from cover to cover here
See more of Chris’ finds here
August 1: Terebi Kun, September issue
Published just one day before the Be Forever premiere (and probably carried into theaters by fans who gazed at it in the overnight line), this issue contained a splashy 5-page article on the movie.
See the pages here
September 9: Middle 1st Age, August issue
With Be Forever coverage now largely over, there was no new article for it in this issue. However, we do find another announcement for the big, shiny Be Forever “Finale Deluxe” hardcover book.
September 16: Middle 1st Age, November special issue
Obunsha’s student digest for 7th graders issued a large-format test-prep volume that was essentially a big book of homework. To take some of the sting off of it, the first thing kids saw when they opened it was a foldout poster with another reminder for Yamato 3. Like most other magazines, it wasn’t using the roman numerals yet. In fact, there was no explanation in this magazine for what “Yamato 3” even was, so readers already had a puzzle to solve.
What’s Next
The drive continues as more discoveries are unearthed! Set course for the next Cosmo DNA update (July 15) and dig into another backlog collection that takes us through 1983.