Shippo no Uta
| "Shippo no Uta" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 8-cm CD single cover | ||||
| Single by Maaya Sakamoto | ||||
| from the album Single Collection+ Nikopachi | ||||
| Language | Japanese | |||
| B-side |
| |||
| Released | August 23, 2000 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:46 | |||
| Label | Victor Entertainment | |||
| Composer | Yoko Kanno | |||
| Lyricist | Hiroshi Ichikura | |||
| Producer | Yoko Kanno | |||
| Maaya Sakamoto singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Shippo no Uta" (しっぽのうた; lit. 'Tail Song') is a song by Japanese voice actress and singer Maaya Sakamoto, released as her seventh single on June 21, 2000, through Victor Entertainment.[1][2] Co-written by Hiroshi Ichikura and Yoko Kanno, the song served as the theme song for the Sega Dreamcast role-playing video game Napple Tale: Arsia in Daydream.[1]
Background and release
"Shippo no Uta" was written specifically for the Napple Tale video game, which tells the story about a girl named Poach, who becomes lost in the otherworldly space "Napple World"—an interstitial realm between reality and dreams where spring, summer, autumn, winter, past, and future exist separately—and embarks on an adventure to return to the real world.[3] The song was composed, arranged and produced by Yoko Kanno, who was also in charge of handling the game's background music.[4] Sakamoto, who also voiced the protagonist and handled the narration on the game, was commissioned to perform the title track. The lyrics were written by Hiroshi Ichikura, marking his first collaboration with Sakamoto, and the first time one of her singles was not penned by longtime collaborator Yuho Iwasato. Sakamoto commented that she approached the recording of "Shippo no Uta" as "acting out a role."[5]
The song was released as a 3-track single on August 23, 2000, approximately two months after "Yubiwa." The single included the tracks "Midori no Hane" and "Yoake no Octave," which were also tied-in to the Naple Tale video game. This release became Sakamoto's first single release to not include instrumental tracks.[6]
The single's cover artwork was illustrated by Kōji Morimoto.[6]
Album appearances
"Shippo no Uta" and "Midori no Hane" first appeared on the Napple Tale soundtrack album Napple Tale: Yōsei Zukan, released on October 21, 2000, by Marvelous Entertainment.[3] This album was re-issued by FlyingDog on July 1, 2009.[4]
The three tracks included on the single were also included on Sakamoto's 2003 singles compilation Single Collection+ Nikopachi.[7]
Commercial performance
"Shippo no Uta" debuted at number 39 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart,[1] selling 8,320 copies on its first week. The single charted for two weeks, with reported sales totaling 10,930 copies.[8]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Hiroshi Ichikura; all music is composed by Yoko Kanno.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Shippo no Uta" (しっぽのうた, lit. 'Tail Song') | 2:46 |
| 2. | "Midori no Hane" (みどりのはね, lit. 'Green Wings') | 2:53 |
| 3. | "Yoake no Octave" (夜明けのオクターブ, lit. 'Dawn Octave') | 1:50 |
| Total length: | 7:29 | |
Charts
| Chart (2000) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Oricon)[1] | 39 |
References
- ^ a b c d "しっぽのうた | 坂本真綾". Oricon News (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "しっぽのうた". FlyingDog (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ a b "Napple Tale 妖精図鑑". Marvelous (in Japanese). Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ a b "菅野よう子×坂本真綾、幻の名盤「Napple Tale」が復刻". Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha Inc. 16 June 2009. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "日刊坂本真綾 0331" [Nikkan Sakamoto Maaya 0331]. 日刊坂本真綾 0331 (1): 30–31. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ a b c Sakamoto, Maaya (1998). Shippo No Uta (CD single). Victor Entertainment. VIDL-30506.
- ^ "坂本真綾 / シングルコレクション+ニコパチ [CD+DVD] [限定][廃盤]". CD Journal (in Japanese). 2003. Retrieved 13 November 2025.
- ^ "オリコンランキング情報サービス「you大樹」" [Oricon Ranking Information Service 'You Taiju']. Oricon. Retrieved 13 November 2025.