Yamato Shimasaki (IJN shipgirl)



Yamato Shimasaki (島崎大和, Shimazaki Yamato) is a retired shipgirl and the flag girl of the Revived Imperial Japanese Navy (RIJN) fleet from 1988 to 1999. The symbol of the Japanese shipgirl program, Yamato made multiple appearances on Japanese radio, TV, and even starred in a movie: River Sendai (1992). She was the first shipgirl ever built, and to this day the largest ship by displacement at 72,000 tons. (However, if measured by sheer weight, there are two heavier ships.)

Origin
Throughout the 1970s, abyssal fleets started forming somewhere near Soviet territory. Therefore, Japan started a shipgirl program to use human girls and inject them with the essence of WWII battleships from years prior. After a few failed attempts, they successfully built their first shipgirl in July 1981. This shipgirl would be Yamato, meaning "Great Harmony" in Japanese and referring to a mythical type of Japan. Yamato was given the surname Shimasaki (Shimazaki in Japanese), after her designer, Mitsuru Shimasaki.

Her designated outfit is a red and white form-fitting shirt, a thick black collar with the RIJN insignia on it, fingerless white gloves, a red skirt, and black thigh high socks. Yamato is known to have one of them higher than the other.

Early years and the First Abyssal War (1985-1991)
The Japanese conscripted Yamato into the fleet in 1985. She was immediately sent to various operations in Latin America and Southeast Asia, mostly to preserve Japanese interest in these regions. Throughout the 1990s, the RIJN began entering full-scale conflicts, including supporting a coup in Malaysia in 1992. Yamato was pressured to fight throughout all these battles, and became scarred from it.

The First Abyssal War ended in 1990, and during peacetime, many of the shipgirls suffered from depression and drug abuse, and many ended up committing suicide as a result. This was chalked up to the programming of pre-1990 shipgirls emphasizing patriotism, a love of combat, and ultranationalism. For Yamato, this meant being modeled after the fabled Yamato Nandeshiko, the ideal of Japanese female beauty. The Yamato Nandeshiko was to be graceful, kind, patient, understanding, doting, and subservient. These traits were emphasized in Yamato, to be a strong flag girl while also being subservient to both her fellow fleet girls and her commanders.

Yamato came home to Japan a hero, and was venerated over a 16-day period, touring Japan, attending parades, and making speeches. She became a symbol of Japanese strength and power, and was even shouted out by Japanese rock band Girl on Run.

River Sendai and the Second Abyssal War (1992-1999)
Yamato was casted in a sci-fi action movie in late 1991. This movie would become River Sendai, a movie about a fictional alien race invading Japan, with Yamato playing Lola Yubara, the main character.

She wanted to pursue acting, however whispers of wars started as early as 1992, and Yamato was forced back to base around spring 1993 to await the impending war. While she had immense prowess and size, she was kept in dock due to her importance as the navy's trump card.

On August 2, 1993, three shipgirl fleets sieged the Okinawa shipgirl base for six days, killing everyone on base. This was the beginning of the Second Abyssal War. Yamato was stationed to the Second Battleship Division as the flag girl and was sent to the Sea of Okhotsk Theatre. Throughout 1993 and early 1994, the Second Battleship Division fought off 134 noted abyssals.

They were able to locate abyssal bases around the Sea of Okhotsk, and these bases were systemically destroyed by the end of 1994. From there, Yamato and the Second Division was sent immediately to the Offwinds in the South China Sea. Naval practice demanded that sailors in the JSDF must have at least two month's break between deployments, however, workarounds were made by legal officials classifying the shipgirls as vessels rather than humans.

During the venture between Okhotsk and the Offwinds, the Second Division was redirected to Wrangel Island, who planned a major siege of an abyssal base, containing several super-dreadnought carriers. However, the abyssal fleet waited for them outside the island. After radioing the local ping host, the Commander placed an order for all shipgirl fleets to retreat from Russian waters. He then ordered the Second Battleship Division, at the time comprised of only 26 or so battleships, to attack the island at all costs. It was evident he had left them for dead.

Outnumbered by 17 times the abyssals, the shipgirls spent nine weeks sailing incessantly between Wrangel and nearby Herald Island, hoping to coordinate concentrated attacks to take out abyssals several at a time. However, as it soon became winter, and the days became shorter and shorter, eventually being shrouded in perpetual night. The temperature dropped under -30ºC. Many of the shipgirls died because of freezing hardware.

During an attack on January 17, 1995, the shipgirls were entrapped on the island, due to abyssals placing landmines around the entire perimeter of the island. After a few shipgirls were blown up attempting to break the mines, the abyssals decided to completely abandon the island, and scatter around the Arctic Ocean.

The roughly 10 shipgirls remaining, including Yamato, were stranded on the island for fourteen weeks. Several shipgirls died of cold, exhaustion, fuel depletion, or suicide. On May 1, 1995, a small rescue crew was assigned to search for any survivors. Of the 40 battleships to go into combat in September 1993, only one remained: Yamato, herself.

With very little regard for the mental health of the shipgirls, Yamato was immediately reassigned to the Ninth Strike Group, and redeployed to the Offwinds.

The Offwinds campaign lasted nineteen months, with Yamato being sent home after only 14 months, due to sustaining heavy damage in the Battle of East Spratley on February 9, 1997. She was sent to the docks in Kyushu and was inactive throughout late 1997 and into 1998, and fearing that Yamato could be sunk in the fighting, was sent to run the Hotel Yamato.

Hotel Yamato, and relative inactivity
Yamato was out of commission for the entirety of the Third Abyssal War, which began in 2004. During her 19-year break of service, she was meant to perform domestic duty jobs for her Admiral, Shirano Shushito, and run the Hotel Yamato, a luxury hotel/naval intelligence unit at the Kyoto base.

Fourth Abyssal War
In 2016, after 19 years of break of service, Yamato was reconscripted and deployed to the Sea of Cortez with the Seventeenth Attack Squadron, tasked with backing the First Carrier Division in raiding and destroying abyssal bases on the Mexican shore. The campaign was centered around Ensenada, and lasted 8 months. From there, she was deployed seasonally, working in the summers, and stowing at the Hotel Yamato in the winter.

However, in 2020, Yamato was pronounced AWOL after a Ministry siege of the base in Bremerton, U.S. She has been presumed dead.

U9 Statistics
Yamato's statistics at her U9 test, on January 18, 1995.

Hardiness: 9/10

Luck: 6/10

Physical Strength: 10/10

Mental Strength: 9/10

Gullibility: 2/10

Smarts: 10/10

Cuteness: 10/10

Ocean Knowledge: 9/10

GPA: 3.99