Aihara's parents. (Yoshito Yasuhara and Akiko Tsuboi)
Ensign Yoshikazu Aihara (相原義一 Aihara Yoshikazu/Giichi) was assigned to be the Chief Communications officer of the Yamato by the Earth Defense Force in the year 2199 AD. He has participated on numerous, presumably all missions aboard the Yamato, and all of them serving as Chief Communications Officer. He was notable in the Yamato's journey to Iscandar(Earth-Gamillas War) , the patrol mission where first contact was made with forces of the Comet Empire, the Earth-Comet Empire-Gamillas war, the Earth-Gamillas-Bolar war, and the Earth-Deinguil Conflict.
As chief communication officer aboard the Yamato, he is granted special clearance to the deep space communications room and equipment in periods while other crewmembers are not. This, the fact that he is the best at operating the radio onboard, and that the Gamillas placed a relay sattelite to relay and listen to communications between the Yamato and Earth, allowed him to talk to his family regularly while on the Yamato's journey to Iscandar. When he discovers that his father is ill and diying, he panics and begs Daisuke Shima, navigations officer and pilot of the Yamato to turn the ship around a return to Earth while there's still time. He also emphasizes that the whole Iscandar trip might be a wild goose chase, and that with every warp they stray further and further away from Earth and possibly into a trap. Extremely homesick, he puts on a spacesuit and jumps overboard the Yamato, floating aimlessly in space thinking he will soon reach the Earth. Then, he discovers the hidden relay satelite and comes to his senses. When the cosmo tigers find him, they destroy it and bring Yushikazu back to the ship. During the restof the journey, he administered communications between the Yamato and Iscandar.
In the year 2202 AD, Yushikazu administered communications between the Yamato and the EDF, but whenever Trelaina of Telezart attempts to communicate, Daisuke shows eccentric enthusiam in talking to her and sometimes asks Yushikazu to operate the radio himself while talking to Trelaina.
Notes
- In Japanese, the kanji for his given name can be read in two ways; the reading "Yoshikazu" is used in episode 10 of the first season, but (owing to an error) he gives his name as "Giichi" in the third season.
- Aihara's favorite song is Kitakami Yakyoku (北上夜曲).
- ↑ Homesickness of Space! My Mother's Tears Are My Tears!