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Classic Yamato<\/em> was heading back to the big screen along with some very respectable company. Today, the website for the long-running movie magazine Kinejun<\/em> made the following announcement:<\/p>\n 2025 is a memorable year which marks the 100th anniversary of the Showa era. Marunouchi TOEI, the last theater directly managed by Toei, will close on Sunday, July 27th, and it has been decided that a special event titled Showa 100th Anniversary Film Festival: Relive those moving moments<\/em> will be held from Friday, March 28th to Thursday, May 8th.<\/span><\/p>\n The screenings will feature 42 masterpieces and hits that graced the Showa era, with a lineup that transcends the boundaries of distribution companies, including not only Toei but also Shochiku, Toho, Kadokawa, and Nikkatsu. The world of cinema will be revived all at once, bringing back nostalgia for the generation that watched them in real time and freshness for the younger generation.<\/span><\/p>\n Included in the list (in the number 30 slot) was Farewell to Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n See the other selections in the article here<\/a> <\/p>\n It’s easy to forget that anime impacts Asian countries just as hard, if not harder, than the western world. Proof of this could be found in a Facebook post from Pan Fufu, who reported on an anime exhibition in Taipei that gave Yamato<\/em> its due.<\/p>\n See Pan’s post (with a photo gallery) here<\/a><\/p>\n Watching the classics got easier when all three of the original TV series were released for unlimited streaming on the Japanese platforms Prime, FOD, and U-Next. The movies would follow on April 4.<\/p>\n As announced on February 17, 2025 marked the 100th anniversary of the Showa era’s first year. Starting today, the Toei theater in Marunouchi Tokyo began screening 42 standout films made during that era, to run through May 8. One of those films was Farewell to Yamato<\/em>.<\/p>\n A fan named Takako Hanaoka posted the photos above on opening day with the following caption:<\/p>\n On the way to work, I came across a poster for the last film festival at Marunouchi Toei, and Farewell to Yamato<\/em> was in the upper right corner. It’s amazing that it was selected among so many masterpieces, but it is even more amazing that it was featured on the poster.<\/span><\/p>\n Perfectly timed for an extended Golden Week holiday, Japan’s Amazon Prime unleashed the entire classic movie catalog in one day, from the original ’77 Yamato<\/em> (4K edition) all the way through Resurrection<\/em>, including the compilation films for Yamato<\/em> 2 and Yamato III<\/em>. <\/p>\n One day later, another streaming service called U-NEXT announced the same package and added all three of the original TV series. As we know, the complete back catalog has been broadcast multiple times on satellite channels, but this marked the first time for unlimited VOD. As we’ll see, it inspired plenty of conversation in the online community.<\/p>\n Screenings of Farewell to Yamato<\/em> took place on these days. The other anime entries in the “100 Showa films” series were Harmagedon<\/em> and Grave of the Fireflies.<\/em><\/p>\n “AnalyzerAU09” shared the following impressions on Twitter:<\/p>\n The inside of the venue was like this, the size of the screen in relation to the space, the curtains, etc. It reminded me so vividly of that summer of 1978. In the old days, movie theaters often played the instrumental version of From Yamato With Love<\/em> between screenings. It was a common theme song in the old days, like Galactic Legend<\/em> (from Be Forever).<\/em> I’ve seen the film hundreds of times, and every time it’s shown, it’s still moving. I can hear people sobbing here and there in the theater. What can I say, it’s an amazing movie.<\/span><\/p>\n A week before the “100 Films” program ended, the Marunouchi Toei theater announced that the first Yamato<\/em> movie would be given another run on the big screen (June 13-19) before the theater closed permanently in July.<\/p>\n Farewell<\/em> got two more slots in the “100 Showa Films” program. Both were afternoon shows on the weekend, and fans were overjoyed to have another opportunity to see it the way it was made to be seen.<\/p>\n Superfan Amachi Papa posted this testimonial on Twitter: Until two years ago, I never thought I would be able to see it in a theater. I have been persistently requesting this from official sources, but from the 4K remaster to the Tokyo International Film Festival and now the screening at Marunouchi Toei, this is something that was unimaginable since the ice age of the 1990s and 2000s. Thank you!<\/span><\/p>\n Toei movie studio has been around for a very long time, but when movie theaters went into decline its many cinemas shut down one by one. As of May 2025, the last Toei theater standing was in Tokyo’s Marunouchi district, scheduled to close in late July. Its final weeks were marked by event screenings and even earned a high-end program book (“pamphlet” in the local lingo) of its own.<\/p>\n This hefty time capsule covered the entire history of this particular theater with several pages devoted to the standout screenings of each decade. Every Yamato<\/em> movie played in this theater, with Farewell<\/em> earning top box office in 1978. The page devoted to the 70s offered an artifact that was easy to miss if you didn’t know what to look for…<\/p>\n This isn’t a photo of the Farewell<\/em> premiere, but something much rarer: the Space Battleship Yamato Festival<\/em> double feature from mid-July 1979. Timed to boost viewership for The New Voyage<\/em>, it offered a double feature (Yamato<\/em> and Farewell<\/em> together for the first time), and this is an extremely rare snapshot from its run.<\/p>\n An annual tradition since 2018 was revived for the 8th year in a row on an FM station broadcasting from Saitama Prefecture. The hosts were radio DJ “Androw Umeda,” manga\/anime artist Michio Murakawa, and Yamato<\/em> music expert Fumi Fukukako. It commanded the attention of Yamato<\/em> fans for four hours on a Saturday afternoon under the title “Final Chapter,” but it was probably no more “final” than Final Yamato<\/em> turned out to be.<\/p>\n Hour 1 explored various aspects of Yamato<\/em> music with a focus on Final Yamato<\/em>. Hour 2 investigated the work of composer Kentaro Haneda, including the highlights of his non-Yamato<\/em> work on such series as Macross, Technovoyager<\/em> and Odin<\/em>. Hour 3 brought in a special guest, Mecha Designer Junichiro Tamamori, for conversation about his work and his own appreciation of the music. Hour 4 was devoted to listener requests and rarities, always the most interesting part of the show for collectors.<\/p>\n The revelation this time was a breathtaking live performance of Love Supreme<\/em> (the last song heard in the Final Yamato<\/em> epilogue) by original vocalist Junko Yagami with a full orchestra. Some detective work revealed that it was recorded at a 2015 concert and released on an album titled Premium Symphonic Concert<\/em> (Sony, DQCL-3330~1) in February 2017. It’s a double-disc collection, and is becoming rarer by the second.<\/p>\n Further digging unearthed a second live recording with a smaller band, this time on a 2016 album titled The Night Flight 2<\/em>. This one can be found on Apple Music, so you can get it with no waiting. Both renditions are worthy of your attention.<\/p>\n Incidentally, Love Supreme<\/em> was a personal favorite for Junko Yagami, appearing on no less than 11 “best of” albums from 1984 through 2014. Visit her official website here<\/a> and find an extensive discography here<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Radio Suite got a rerun two weeks after its premiere, announced by Michio Murakawa on social media with his own custom promo art.<\/p>\n Toei’s historic Marunouchi theater was now counting down its final days before closing, and the “historic” theme of their last days was upheld with the return of the first Yamato<\/em> movie for one full week of screenings.<\/p>\n Fans turned out and reported the experience on Twitter. TOM2199 wrote:<\/p>\n No matter how many times I watch it, I’m drawn to it. No matter how many times I watch it, it’s interesting. No matter how many times I watch it, I cry at the captain’s death. No matter how many times I watch it, my heart is moved by the joy of achievement and the difficulties it faces, and I resolve to move forward.<\/span><\/p>\n I was very happy to see so many young people there. I think the 4K remaster, which is a reference that goes back to the original, has made it easier to pass on and spread the culture. The contribution is immeasurable. I hope this will continue into the future.<\/span><\/p>\n Who’s that waiting to be run over by the Galaxy Express 999? It’s none other than Masako Nozawa<\/a>, the voice of Tetsuro Hoshino, one of the earliest visitors to Journey of Creation<\/em>, the first large-scale posthumous Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition. It opened in Tokyo on June 20 and will stick around until September, featuring over 300 pieces of original art and rare memorabilia.<\/p>\n See MANY more photos on Twitter here<\/a> | See a video walkthrough here<\/a> | See a collection of event merch here<\/a><\/p>\n Two days after Journey of Creation<\/em> opened, fans held an exhibition of their own. “Zero Mecha” was a single-day event in which modelers assembled at a venue in Tokyo’s Chuo ward to celebrate Leiji Matsumoto with their own 3-dimensional works. Yamato<\/em> kits made a strong showing, but there was much more to be seen.<\/p>\n Get your eyes on multiple photo galleries here<\/a><\/p>\n In an event related to the 50th Anniversary exhibition in Osaka, O.G. superfan Ryusuke Hikawa gave a live talk on his most recent book, Theory of Imaginary Visual Culture<\/em>, which was published for the Tokyo exhibition in March. The talk took place in Umeda, Osaka, and was sponsored by ATAC [Anime Tokusatsu Archive Centre] in sync with a “Yamato<\/em> Commemorative Fair” that started that day at the local Asahiya Bookstore. It’s always fun to watch these threads weave together, isn’t it?<\/p>\n It seldom gets better than this. The Tweet shown above, with a famous captain’s quote, was posted on this day by JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi. (See it for yourself here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n The Japanese edition of Huffington Post published an article to explain (see the original story here<\/a>):<\/p>\n The famous line tweeted by Takuya Onishi while looking at Earth from space has garnered enthusiastic responses from anime fans.<\/span><\/p>\n A photo posted by astronaut Takuya Onishi with the words “Earth…everything feels so nostalgic” has become a hot topic on Twitter. The photo shows Onishi gazing at Earth with his arms crossed inside the Cupola observation unit of the International Space Station (ISS). With the glowing blue Earth spreading out in the background, it’s like a scene from a movie.<\/span><\/p>\n The inspiration for this comment comes from a famous line spoken by Captain Juzo Okita as he gazes upon Earth at the end of his journey in the anime Space Battleship Yamato<\/em>. It remains a deeply moving scene, remembered by many as a reunion with Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n Onishi participated in a long-term mission to the ISS which began on March 16th. After completing his approximately five-month mission, he returned to Earth on August 7th.<\/span><\/p>\n The post was accompanied by the hashtag “I’ve always wanted to say this,” indicating that he finally got to say “that famous line” in space.<\/span><\/p>\n He received comments mixed with praise and humor, such as “I’ve always wanted to say it, but never had the chance to use it…”, “Captain Okita!”, “Is the Earth still beautiful?” and “This is an angle that everyone has taken at least once.”<\/span><\/p>\n Be honest, you’ve always suspected that somewhere in Japan must be a street named for the Battleship Yamato<\/em>, right? Well, there is now. Here’s a pair of articles to explain…<\/p>\n Posted on Livedoor<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n What sort of place is named “Yamato<\/em> Street”? A road in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, has recently been given that nickname after the former Imperial Japanese Navy battleship Yamato<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n Local shop owners renamed the approximately 270-meter stretch of street near JR Kure Station, from the Yamato<\/em> Museum satellite to the Megane bridge intersection. It is named after Yamato<\/em>‘s overall length of 263 meters.<\/span><\/p>\n Currently, flags are set up along this street, and by scanning the QR code on a smartphone or other device, you can get a sense of its size through a computer graphic of the ship, recreated using augmented reality (AR) technology.<\/span><\/p>\n Kure is the hometown of the battleship Yamato<\/em>. While the Yamato<\/em> Museum is a popular tourist attraction within the city, it is currently closed until the end of March 2026, and exhibits are temporarily housed at the Yamato<\/em> Museum satellite. On August 8, it recorded 100,000 visitors, just 143 days after its opening.<\/span><\/p>\n Posted on Chugoku<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Local shop owners have named the city road “Yamato<\/em> Street.” They are promoting the road’s length, roughly the same as the battleship Yamato<\/em>‘s 263-meter total length, and encouraging people to stroll around. They have also developed content that displays CG images of Yamato<\/em> on smartphone screens, allowing tourists to experience “Kure, the home of Yamato<\/em>.” This road once led from Kure Station to the former Kure Naval Arsenal, where Yamato<\/em> was built.<\/span><\/p>\n The idea came from volunteers led by Keiichiro Kawasaki (51), owner of Fuji Uniforms, a shop selling Maritime Self-Defense Force uniforms and merchandise. They erected banners featuring illustrations of Yamato<\/em> at four locations along the road. When the QR code on the banner is scanned with a smartphone, augmented reality (AR) technology is used to display computer-generated images of the Yamato<\/em>‘s bow, main guns, bridge, and stern.<\/span><\/p>\n Chihaya Konishi (49), a part-time lecturer at Hiroshima Institute of Technology (Hatsukaichi City), who created the content, appeals to visitors, saying, “Enjoy the atmosphere of Yamato<\/em> appearing in the middle of town, and enjoy the sense of scale.”<\/span><\/p>\n Previously, there were hardly any people on weekends, but since the museum satellite opened, “the change in traffic flow is an opportunity,” says Kawasaki. Nearby tourist spots include Alley Karasu Kojima, where you can get a close-up look at a submarine, and the city encourages visitors to “experience the history of Kure, which developed through shipbuilding, while walking along the street.”<\/span><\/p>\n 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<\/em> history should tell you what theme song was played to commemorate the launch.<\/p>\n If you’re still wondering, find out Youtube here<\/a><\/p>\n The Kitakyushu Manga Museum became the latest venue for Leiji-sha’s 50th anniversary observation of Galaxy Express 999<\/em>, with the customary Yamato\/Harlock\/<\/em>other titles on display as well. It was scheduled to remain in residence through January 2026.<\/p>\n The museum’s Twitter account<\/a> posted photos of the ad campaign, which had taken over the monorail station in nearby Kokura. (Above right)<\/p>\n See more info the official website here<\/a><\/p>\nMarunouchi TOEI, which is about to close, will screen all the masterpieces and hits of the Showa era at once<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nFebruary: Taipei exhibition<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nMarch 14: TV news<\/h3>\n
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\nPhotos posted on Twitter by hanaco1231<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nMarch 28: Showa 100th Anniversary Film Festival opens<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nApril 3: Streaming launch<\/h3>\n
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\nScreenshots posted on Twitter by takadreamn89332<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/may25\/051b62.JPG\")
\nPhotos posted on Twitter by Popoki Cat<\/em> and AnalyzerAU09<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nApril 27 & 29: Farewell to Yamato<\/em> screenings<\/h3>\n
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\nPhotos posted on Twitter by AnalyzerAU09 and emo_fusa<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun25\/058b05.JPG\")
<\/p>\nMay 2: Movie news<\/h3>\n
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\nPhoto posted on Twitter by forest_fu<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nMay 3 & 4: Farewell to Yamato<\/em> screenings<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nMay 9: Sayonara Marunouchi Toei<\/em> pamphlet<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nMay 10: Radio Suite Final Chapter<\/em> 2025<\/h3>\n
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\nParody album cover, autograph card by all the participants (posted on Twitter by Androw Umeda<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jun25\/058b19.JPG\")
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\nPhoto posted on Twitter by Ponsuke<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nJune 13-19: Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> on the big screen<\/h3>\n
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\nPhotos posted on Twitter by TOM2199<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jul25\/060b08.JPG\")
\nPhoto posted on Twitter by karapon2199<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jul25\/060b10.JPG\")
\nPhoto posted on Twitter by Aoni_official<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nJune 20: Leiji Matsumoto Exhibition opens<\/h3>\n
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\nPhoto posted on Twitter by tabisoraumi<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/jul25\/060b14.JPG\")
\nPhotos at right posted on Twitter by KenkenZenmai<\/a> and seiji2631<\/a><\/em><\/p>\nJune 22: Zero Mecha Model Exhibition<\/h3>\n
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Photo posted on Twitter by Info_ATAC<\/a><\/em>\n<\/p>\nJuly 13: Ryusuke Hikawa lecture<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nAugust 5: Message from space<\/h3>\n
Takuya Onishi recreates the famous line from Space Battleship Yamato<\/em> in space<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nAugust 18: Yamato<\/em> Street, Kure<\/h3>\n
This is roughly the size of the battleship Yamato<\/em>
\n“Yamato<\/em> Street” opens in the city of Kure, Hiroshima<\/span><\/h3>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault-images\/sep25\/069b23.JPG\")
<\/p>\n“Yamato<\/em> Street,” connecting Kure’s tourist attractions, promotes a city road roughly the same length as the battleship Yamato<\/em>, with CG images<\/span><\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSeptember 8: Ferry launch<\/h3>\n
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<\/p>\nSeptember 27: Leiji Matsumoto exhibition opens<\/h3>\n
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