AKB48
AKB48 (read “A.K.B. Forty-eight”) is a Japanese idol girl group. As of November 2013, the group has 89 members, whose ages range from early teens to mid-20s. AKB48 is named after Akihabara (Akiba for short), the area in Tokyo where the group’s theater is located. The idea of AKB48’s producer Yasushi Akimoto was to create a girl group that, unlike a regular pop group that gives occasional concerts and that is mostly seen on television, would have its own theater and perform there on a daily basis; the fans would always be able to go and see the girls live. This “idols you can meet” concept includes the formation of different teams that are able to rotate performances and to perform simultaneously in events at various locations, as well as the organisation of “handshake” events, where fans can briefly interact with band members. Akimoto has also expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister groups throughout Japan, and also in China and Indonesia.
The group is one of the highest-earning musical acts in Japan, with 2012 record sales of over US$226 million. It has achieved such popularity in the country that it has been characterized as a social phenomenon. As of March 2014, the group has sold over 30 million records, including over 25.83 million singles (as of December 2013), which places it as the third highest musical act in Japan by number of singles sold, and the most by a girl group. The group’s twenty two latest singles have topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, with a record seventeen singles that have sold over a million copies. Its 2013 single “Sayonara Crawl” sold over 1.87 million copies. In 2010, “Beginner” and “Heavy Rotation” placed, respectively, first and second in the list of Japan’s best selling singles for that year. In 2011 and 2012, AKB48’s singles occupied the top five spots of the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart and in 2013, the top four.
Background Information
Native Name AKB48
Also known as AKB
Years active 2005 – Present
Official Website http://www.akb48.co.jp
YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/AKB48
Official Twitter https://twitter.com/AKB48
Official Facebook N/A
Current Members
TEAM A
Nana Fujita (藤田 奈那 Fujita Nana)
Nao Furuhata (古畑 奈和 Furuhata Nao)
Manami Ichikawa (市川 愛美 Ichikawa Manami)
Anna Iriyama (入山 杏奈 Iriyama Anna)
Karen Iwata (岩田 華怜 Iwata Karen)
Haruka Katayama (片山 陽加 Katayama Haruka)
Rina Kawaei (川栄 李奈 Kawaei Rina)
Ayaka Kikuchi (菊地 あやか Kikuchi Ayaka)
Haruna Kojima (小嶋 陽菜 Kojima Haruna)
Natsuki Kojima (小嶋 菜月 Kojima Natsuki)
Ami Maeda (前田 亜美 Maeda Ami)
Sakiko Matsui (松井 咲子 Matsui Sakiko)
Sakura Miyawaki (宮脇 咲良 Miyawaki Sakura)
Ayaka Morikawa (森川 彩香 Morikawa Ayaka)
Tomu Mutō (武藤 十夢 Mutō Tomu)
Mariko Nakamura (中村 麻里子 Nakmura Mariko)
Chiyori Nakanishi (中西 智代梨 Nakanishi Chiyori)
Chisato Nakata (中田 ちさと Nakata Chisato)
Rena Nishiyama (西山 怜那 Nishiyama Rena)
Haruka Shimazaki (島崎 遥香 Shimazaki Haruka)
Minami Takahashi (高橋 みなみ Takahashi Minami)
Kayoko Takita (田北 香世子 Takita Kayoko)
Makiho Tatsuya (達家 真姫宝 Tatsuya Makiho)
Fūko Yagura (矢倉 楓子 Yagura Fūko)
TEAM K
Maria Abe (阿部 マリア Abe Maria)
Moe Aigasa (相笠 萌 Aigasa Moe)
Moe Gotō (後藤 萌咲 Gotō Moe)
Haruka Ishida (石田 晴香 Ishida Haruka)
Misaki Iwasa (岩佐 美咲 Iwasa Misaki)
Rie Kitahara (北原 里英 Kitahara Rie)
Kana Kobayashi (小林 香菜 Kobayashi Kana)
Haruka Kodama (兒玉 遥 Kodama Haruka)
Mako Kojima (小嶋 真子 Kojima Mako)
Jurina Matsui (松井 珠理奈 Matsui Jurina)
Miho Miyazaki (宮崎 美穂 Miyazaki Miho)
Mariya Nagao (永尾 まりや Nagao Mariya)
Misato Nonaka (野中 美郷 Nonaka Misato)
Haruka Shimada (島田 晴香 Shimada Haruka)
Hinana Shimoguchi (下口 ひなな Shimoguchi Hinana)
Mariya Suzuki (鈴木 まりや Suzuki Mariya)
Shihori Suzuki (鈴木 紫帆里 Suzuki Shihori)
Yūka Tano (田野 優花 Tano Yūki)
Mayumi Uchida (内田 眞由美 Uchida Mayumi)
Sayaka Yamamoto (山本 彩 Yamamoto Sayaka)
Yui Yokoyama (横山 由依 Yokoyama Yui)
Ami Yumoto (湯本 亜美 Yumoto Ami)
TEAM B
Seina Fukuoka (福岡 聖菜 Fukuoka Seina)
Hikari Hashimoto (橋本 耀 Hashimoto Hikari)
Rina Hirata (平田 梨奈 Hirata Rina)
Rina Ikoma (生駒 里奈 Ikoma Rina)
Rina Izuta (伊豆田 莉奈 Izuta Rina)
Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀 Kashiwagi Yuki)
Saya Kawamoto (川本 紗矢 Kawamoto Saya)
Asuka Kuramochi (倉持 明日香 Kuramochi Asuka)
Wakana Natori (名取 稚菜 Natori Wakana)
Rena Nozawa (野澤 玲奈 Nozawa Rena)
Mayu Ogasawara (小笠原 茉由 Ogasawara Mayu)
Ryōka Ōshima (大島 涼花 Ōshima Ryōka)
Nana Ōwada (大和田 南那 Ōwada Nana)
Shizuka Ōya (大家 志津香 Ōya Shizuka)
Juri Takahashi (高橋 朱里 Takahashi Juri)
Aki Takajō (高城 亜樹 Takajō Aki)
Miyu Takeuchi (竹内 美宥 Takeuchi Miyu)
Miku Tanabe (田名部 生来 Tanabe Miku)
Mio Tomonaga (朝長 美桜 Tomonaga Miyo)
Natsuki Uchiyama (内山 奈月 Uchiyama Natsuki)
Ayano Umeta (梅田 綾乃 Umeta Ayano)
Mayu Watanabe (渡辺 麻友 Watanabe Mayu)
Aeri Yokoshima (横島 亜衿 Yokoshima Aeri)
Tags: AKB48
Categorised in: Akihabara, J-Pop, Kawaii, Pop Culture
This post was written by Mathew Ryan
AKB48
AKB48 (read “A.K.B. Forty-eight”) is a Japanese idol girl group. As of November 2013, the group has 89 members, whose ages range from early teens to mid-20s. AKB48 is named after Akihabara (Akiba for short), the area in Tokyo where the group’s theater is located. The idea of AKB48’s producer Yasushi Akimoto was to create a girl group that, unlike a regular pop group that gives occasional concerts and that is mostly seen on television, would have its own theater and perform there on a daily basis; the fans would always be able to go and see the girls live. This “idols you can meet” concept includes the formation of different teams that are able to rotate performances and to perform simultaneously in events at various locations, as well as the organisation of “handshake” events, where fans can briefly interact with band members. Akimoto has also expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister groups throughout Japan, and also in China and Indonesia.
The group is one of the highest-earning musical acts in Japan, with 2012 record sales of over US$226 million. It has achieved such popularity in the country that it has been characterized as a social phenomenon. As of March 2014, the group has sold over 30 million records, including over 25.83 million singles (as of December 2013), which places it as the third highest musical act in Japan by number of singles sold, and the most by a girl group. The group’s twenty two latest singles have topped the Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, with a record seventeen singles that have sold over a million copies. Its 2013 single “Sayonara Crawl” sold over 1.87 million copies. In 2010, “Beginner” and “Heavy Rotation” placed, respectively, first and second in the list of Japan’s best selling singles for that year. In 2011 and 2012, AKB48’s singles occupied the top five spots of the Oricon Yearly Singles Chart and in 2013, the top four.
Background Information
Native Name AKB48
Also known as AKB
Years active 2005 – Present
Official Website http://www.akb48.co.jp
YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/user/AKB48
Official Twitter https://twitter.com/AKB48
Official Facebook N/A
Current Members
TEAM A
Nana Fujita (藤田 奈那 Fujita Nana)
Nao Furuhata (古畑 奈和 Furuhata Nao)
Manami Ichikawa (市川 愛美 Ichikawa Manami)
Anna Iriyama (入山 杏奈 Iriyama Anna)
Karen Iwata (岩田 華怜 Iwata Karen)
Haruka Katayama (片山 陽加 Katayama Haruka)
Rina Kawaei (川栄 李奈 Kawaei Rina)
Ayaka Kikuchi (菊地 あやか Kikuchi Ayaka)
Haruna Kojima (小嶋 陽菜 Kojima Haruna)
Natsuki Kojima (小嶋 菜月 Kojima Natsuki)
Ami Maeda (前田 亜美 Maeda Ami)
Sakiko Matsui (松井 咲子 Matsui Sakiko)
Sakura Miyawaki (宮脇 咲良 Miyawaki Sakura)
Ayaka Morikawa (森川 彩香 Morikawa Ayaka)
Tomu Mutō (武藤 十夢 Mutō Tomu)
Mariko Nakamura (中村 麻里子 Nakmura Mariko)
Chiyori Nakanishi (中西 智代梨 Nakanishi Chiyori)
Chisato Nakata (中田 ちさと Nakata Chisato)
Rena Nishiyama (西山 怜那 Nishiyama Rena)
Haruka Shimazaki (島崎 遥香 Shimazaki Haruka)
Minami Takahashi (高橋 みなみ Takahashi Minami)
Kayoko Takita (田北 香世子 Takita Kayoko)
Makiho Tatsuya (達家 真姫宝 Tatsuya Makiho)
Fūko Yagura (矢倉 楓子 Yagura Fūko)
TEAM K
Maria Abe (阿部 マリア Abe Maria)
Moe Aigasa (相笠 萌 Aigasa Moe)
Moe Gotō (後藤 萌咲 Gotō Moe)
Haruka Ishida (石田 晴香 Ishida Haruka)
Misaki Iwasa (岩佐 美咲 Iwasa Misaki)
Rie Kitahara (北原 里英 Kitahara Rie)
Kana Kobayashi (小林 香菜 Kobayashi Kana)
Haruka Kodama (兒玉 遥 Kodama Haruka)
Mako Kojima (小嶋 真子 Kojima Mako)
Jurina Matsui (松井 珠理奈 Matsui Jurina)
Miho Miyazaki (宮崎 美穂 Miyazaki Miho)
Mariya Nagao (永尾 まりや Nagao Mariya)
Misato Nonaka (野中 美郷 Nonaka Misato)
Haruka Shimada (島田 晴香 Shimada Haruka)
Hinana Shimoguchi (下口 ひなな Shimoguchi Hinana)
Mariya Suzuki (鈴木 まりや Suzuki Mariya)
Shihori Suzuki (鈴木 紫帆里 Suzuki Shihori)
Yūka Tano (田野 優花 Tano Yūki)
Mayumi Uchida (内田 眞由美 Uchida Mayumi)
Sayaka Yamamoto (山本 彩 Yamamoto Sayaka)
Yui Yokoyama (横山 由依 Yokoyama Yui)
Ami Yumoto (湯本 亜美 Yumoto Ami)
TEAM B
Seina Fukuoka (福岡 聖菜 Fukuoka Seina)
Hikari Hashimoto (橋本 耀 Hashimoto Hikari)
Rina Hirata (平田 梨奈 Hirata Rina)
Rina Ikoma (生駒 里奈 Ikoma Rina)
Rina Izuta (伊豆田 莉奈 Izuta Rina)
Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀 Kashiwagi Yuki)
Saya Kawamoto (川本 紗矢 Kawamoto Saya)
Asuka Kuramochi (倉持 明日香 Kuramochi Asuka)
Wakana Natori (名取 稚菜 Natori Wakana)
Rena Nozawa (野澤 玲奈 Nozawa Rena)
Mayu Ogasawara (小笠原 茉由 Ogasawara Mayu)
Ryōka Ōshima (大島 涼花 Ōshima Ryōka)
Nana Ōwada (大和田 南那 Ōwada Nana)
Shizuka Ōya (大家 志津香 Ōya Shizuka)
Juri Takahashi (高橋 朱里 Takahashi Juri)
Aki Takajō (高城 亜樹 Takajō Aki)
Miyu Takeuchi (竹内 美宥 Takeuchi Miyu)
Miku Tanabe (田名部 生来 Tanabe Miku)
Mio Tomonaga (朝長 美桜 Tomonaga Miyo)
Natsuki Uchiyama (内山 奈月 Uchiyama Natsuki)
Ayano Umeta (梅田 綾乃 Umeta Ayano)
Mayu Watanabe (渡辺 麻友 Watanabe Mayu)
Aeri Yokoshima (横島 亜衿 Yokoshima Aeri)
Tags: AKB48
Categorised in: Akihabara, J-Pop, Kawaii, Pop Culture
This post was written by Mathew Ryan