Kantai Collection・Lottery Prizes・Yamato

Yamato (大和) is named after the ancient Japanese province of the same name and was the lead ship of the Yamato class of battleships that served in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The Yamato was the largest battleship ever made, displacing at 72,000 tonnes fully loaded with nine gun turrets. Yamato also had a sister ship named Musashi, who matched her in size and power, but neither survived the end of the war. Formally commissioned in 1941, Yamato was designed to rival the United States battleship fleet, which was considerably larger than Japan's. Throughout 1942, Yamato served as the leader of the Japanese Combined Fleet until Japan's disastrous defeat in the Battle of Midway. Yamato's sister ship Musashi took over as the flagship of the Combined Fleet in 1943 while Yamato spent the rest of the year and much of 1944 moving between Japanese naval bases in response to the American threats.

Due to the high cost of running her and her symbolism as the Imperial Japanese Navy's flagship, Yamato did not participate in any battles pre-1944, so Yamato was often sarcastically referred to as "Yamato Hotel". In the game, Yamato is often teased by her comrades by using this name, which she despises. In the anime adaptation, Yamato first makes her appearance in episode 8 where she is overseeing the management of the Truck Lagoon anchorage base. Due to her management duties over the base, Yamato has zero battlefield experience, much to her chagrin. This reputation as a ""hotel"is also reflected in Kantai Collection's gameplay - if Yamato is sunk in the game, the material costs of repairing her are so high that often players do not risk sending her out on missions.

Just like the "Yamato Nadeshiko" archetype of the ideal Japanese woman, Yamato is shy and polite, always ready to serve her country, but that doesn't mean she doesn't pack a punch! Yamato is fierce when she needs to be and her despite her "hotel" nickname, those guns are certainly not for show.