Ginga Tetsudô 999
(Galaxy Express)
Diamond Ring no Kanata e

“Ginga Tetsudô 999 Diamond Ring no Kanata e” (Galaxy Express 999: Beyond the Diamond Ring) is an animated movie produced in 2009 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of the movie “Ginga Tetsudô 999” (Galaxy Express 999). This original story is set in Kagoshima, Southwest of Japan. It has a precise running time of 999 seconds (16 minutes and 39 seconds), and premiered on September 9, 2009 (09/09/09), at the “2009 International Year of Astronomy: Galaxy Express 999 Film Festival in Kagoshima.”

This project was realized as a collaboration between the Kagoshima Tourism Promotion Council and the Young Astronauts Club of Japan (YAC), centered on the themes of “Space, Railways, and Dreams.” Kagoshima Prefecture is known as the “prefecture close to space,” being the only region in Japan with a rocket launch facility. In 2009, during the International Year of Astronomy, a special event occurred: on July 22, the first total solar eclipse in 46 years. It was the longest of this century and was observed over an area extending from Tanegashima to Amami Ōshima, with its central point being Akusekijima (Tokara Islands) in Kagoshima Prefecture.

The movie features a special appearance by Kōichi Wakata, JAXA astronaut (the Japanese space agency), playing himself. Iku Ishiguro directed the film, with Yoshimi Narita responsible for the screenplay.

July 22, 2009, the Galaxy Express 999 arrives in Kagoshima, where a total solar eclipse is taking place. Tetsurō hands a 999 pass to Kakeru, a boy who dreams of becoming an astronaut, and says, “Whether you use this or not is up to you.”

Then it's 2035, the year when Japan experiences its first total solar eclipse in 26 years, and Kakeru...