Today, I’d like to introduce the origin of the name for the VR piano game “Sigure (しぐれ)”.
As many of you might have guessed, the way the notes fall from above resembles something quite familiar…
How the Name “Sigure” Was Chosen
A Simple and Beautiful Japanese Word
Since this VR game allows players to play J-pop and anime songs on the piano, I wanted a name that could be appreciated by people not only in Japan but also internationally. That’s why I aimed for a simple and beautiful Japanese word.
(※ Currently, the game is only available in Japan as we have not yet completed the copyright procedures for overseas markets.)
Various Words Representing Rain
Since the falling notes resemble rain, I started researching various Japanese words that represent rain. To my surprise, Japan has over 400 different words for rain!
Some of the candidates I considered included “Samidare (五月雨)” and “Murasame (村雨),” but ultimately, I chose “Shigure (時雨).” The sound of the word is beautiful, and its meaning—”rain that falls and stops intermittently”—perfectly matches the image of the piano game.
Theme Song “Shigure”
We also created an original theme song called “Shigure” for the VR piano game!
The music is inspired by the imagery of rain falling and stopping intermittently.
“Shigure” is included in the initial tracklist of the game, so please try playing it! (Since it’s a bit challenging, we recommend starting with the easy mode.)
Thoughtfully Designed Logo
We put a lot of effort into the logo design!
To make it instantly recognizable as a piano game, we incorporated a piano image, note symbols, and musical elements to convey a fun and engaging atmosphere.
Although the game name is written as “Sigure” in Roman letters, we wanted to feature the kanji prominently in the logo. After considering several font options, we selected a design that best represents the game’s aesthetic.
One of the most special touches in the design is the white diagonal lines within the kanji characters!
These lines symbolize falling rain, and the difference in impression with and without them is striking!
…I may have talked for too long! Let’s wrap it up here (sweat drop).
VR Piano Game “Sigure”
That was the story behind the name! What do you think?
In the actual game, the notes fall from above like rain. If you set the notes to light blue, you might enhance the rainy atmosphere even more.
“Sigure” allows you to play intuitively by following the notes, making it enjoyable even for beginners who cannot read sheet music. We hope you give it a try!