Space Battleship Yamato Director Toshio Masuda Dies at 98

Anime News NetworkPublished Sep 27, 2026, 06:08 UTC14h agoUpdated 09:02 UTC1 min read

Space Battleship Yamato Film Director Toshio Masuda Dies at 98 — Image: Anime News Network

Film director and screenwriter Toshio Masuda passed away on August 26 at the age of 98, according to reports from Mainichi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun. Born in Kobe in October 1927, Masuda began his career at Nikkatsu after joining Shintoho in 1954.

He gained international recognition for co-directing the Japanese sequences of the 1970 war epic Tora! Tora! Tora!. His extensive anime credits include supervising scripts for the 1974 Star Blazers series, directing the 1977 Space Battleship Yamato compilation film, and serving as a key creative force on Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, The New Voyage, Be Forever Yamato, and Final Yamato.

Masuda directed 82 films throughout his career, earning numerous accolades including the Medal of Honor with Purple Ribbon in 1993.

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Original headline at Anime News Network: “Space Battleship Yamato Film Director Toshio Masuda Dies at 98”

Key facts

Name: Toshio Masuda
Date of Death: August 26
Age: 98
Birth Place: Kobe
Total Films Directed: 82

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#Anime Film
#Obituary
#Space Battleship Yamato
#Star Blazers
#Tora! Tora! Tora!
#Toshio Masuda

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