[6] The beginning of his Symphony in F major, "Triumph and Peace" (1912) has a pentatonic theme G-A-D-E which reflects the Japanese national anthem based on Gagaku.

His songs have been performed and recorded by many famous singers such as Kathleen Battle, Ernst Haefliger and Yoshikazu Mera.

He gave the premieres, in Japan, of Debussy's Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune, Dvořák's Symphony No.

Jacques Ibert's Ouverture de fête was dedicated to the Japanese emperor and government for the 2,600th National Foundation Day in 1940 and premiered under the baton of Yamada.

Yamada died at his home in Tokyo of a heart attack on 29 December 1965, and was survived by his wife, Teruko.