Mameshiba (song)

"Mameshiba" marked Sakamoto's return to recording after a break from new music releases post-1999, period which Sakamoto prepared for her college entrance exams.^[4] The song also marked the first time Sakamoto penned the lyrics for the title track of one of her singles. The song was composed by Yoko Kanno specifically as a tie-in theme for the anime Earth Maiden Arjuna, with specific lyrical directives provided to Sakamoto.^[5] Upon first hearing the demo of the song, Sakamoto commented that she asked Kanno where the chorus was—a question Kanno would later recounted as a humorous anecdote.^[5]

The song title originated as a provisional name chosen by Kanno before the lyrics were written. After Sakamoto completed the lyrics—centered on the theme of “running as far as I have to for the person I love”—Sakamoto and Kanno considered that it evoked a dog-like determination, prompting them to keep it.^[6] Sakamoto would later comment that this marked her first attempt at adopting a more literary, author-like approach to lyric writing.^[5]

"Mameshiba" was released on December 6, 2000—about a month before the anime's television premiere^[3]—as an 8 cm CD packaged within a standard 12 cm jewel case.^[7][8] This became the last single release by Sakamoto on 8 cm CD format. The single featured the B-side "Kūki to Hoshi," penned by lyricist Yuho Iwasato.^[9]

The music video for "Mameshiba" was directed by Naoki Imamura,^[8] with filming taking place in the Shibuya and Daikanyamachō metropolitan areas. In the video, Sakamoto and a puppy run continuously through multiple sites to capture the song's energetic, dog-like sprint imagery.^[10]

"Mameshiba" debuted and peaked at number 47 on the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart,^[1] selling 5,110 copies on its first week. The single charted for two weeks, with reported sales totaling 7,990 copies.^[11]

"Mameshiba" was first included on the soundtrack album Arjuna: Into the Another World, released on March 23, 2001, by Victor Entertainment.^[12] This album included a different version of the B-side "Kūki to Hoshi" (クウキ ト ホシ; the title written in katakana), with lyrics penned by Gabriela Robin and vocals by Chinatsu Yamamoto.^[13]

Both "Mameshiba" and "Kūki to Hoshi" were included on Sakamoto third studio album, Lucy, released on March 28, 2001.^[14]

An alternative version of "Mameshiba," titled "Saigo no Mameshiba" (さいごのマメシバ; lit. 'The Last Little Shiba Dog'), was included on the soundtrack album Arjuna 2: Onna no Minato, released on May 23, 2001.^[15]

In 2019, Japanese novelist Sako Aizawa [ja] published an essay expressing his admiration for "Mameshiba," describing it as a transformative force in his teenage years, providing him with a sense of salvation amid feelings of loneliness and despair.^[16]

In 2025, "Mameshiba" ranked sixth in a fan-voting initiative conducted as part of the celebrations of Sakamoto's thirtieth anniversary of her debut, leading up to the release of her second best-of album M30: Your Song.^[17] Sakamoto expressed surprise at this, noting that while she was aware of its relative popularity, the high placement was unexpected.^[5]