Biography
AKB48 (short for Akihabara48), is a Japan idol girlgroup, produced by Yasushi Akimoto and signed to two label’s, You, Be Cool! and KING RECORDS.
AKB48 holds several Guinness World Records, including being recognized on December 1, 2010 as the “largest pop group” when it numbered 48 members. It set a record for “most number of same-product television endorsements within 24 hours” on February 28, 2012, after 90 group members appeared in 90 different commercials aired in the Kanto, Kansai and Tokai regions of Japan.
Yasushi Akimoto criated a idol girlgroup with own teather with the purpose to perfoming daily (unlike pop groups performing occasional concerts and seen on television). They located on the 8th floor of Don Quijote (Akihabara, Tokyo). AKB48 included 134 members on December, 2018, with the concept of “Idols you can meet”.
Akimoto has expanded the AKB48 concept to several sister groups. They have 5 sister groups in locations across Japan (SKE48, NMB48, HKT48, NGT48 and STU48) in China (AKB48 Team SH), Indonesia (JKT48), Thailand (BNK48 and CGM48), Taiwan (AKB48 Team TP), the Philippines (MNL48), and Vietnam (SGO48), with two upcoming groups announced for India (MUB48 and DEL48).
In July 2005, Yasushi Akimoto held an audition for AKB48, and 7,924 girls auditioned. Of this longer number, 24 were chosen as first-generation group members. On December 8, 20 members debuted as “Team A” in the AKB48 Theater.
AKB48 was intended to have 16 members on each of three teams, forming a total membership of 48, but its membership has varied over time and has exceeded 120 people.
New members are called Kenkyuusei’s, who are understudies for the group,performing occasionally in the theater as a team.
AKB48’s line up has frequently changed due to departures, admissions, team rotations, and transfers between AKB48 and its various sister groups.
On November 10, 2018, the group consists of 134 members, divided among several teams: Team A with 28 members, Team K with 27 members, Team B with 29 members, and Team 4 with 26 members, Team 8 with 45 members, the last of which have all members serving concurrently with other AKB48 teams.
Some members belong concurrently to AKB48’s sister groups, and Mion Mukaichi is the general manager of AKB48 and its sister groups.
AKB48 released its first independent-label single, “Sakura no Hanabiratachi”, in February 2006. On June 7 AKB48 released its second independent single, “Skirt, Hirari”, and they had an television appearance two days later.
The group’s style has been characterized as “bubblegum pop and synchronised dancing”, appealing to prepubescent girls and older males who purchase the group’s merchandise.
AKB48 and sister groups boost their record sales by a variety of marketing strategies. The main track for each single is recorded by a team of a selection called “Senbatsu” with popular members from AKB48’s teams and sister groups, with one of the girls selected as the center performer of the single, called Center.
The singles and albums are released in different editions and types with alternate album-cover pictures, B-side tracks, video DVDs, collectible member pictures, event tickets and voting codes for several annual election contests (Senbatsu Sousenkyo).
On June 15, 2018, the AKB48 groups participated in the Korean reality competition show Produce 48, which acted as the third season for the Mnet series Produce 101. The show brought in 96 girls to compete for a spot in a 12 member girl group that would promote in both Korea and Japan for two and a half years. Of those 96 contestants, 57 were from Korean talent agencies while 39 were from AKB48 groups.
August 31, 2018, the show’s final episode aired and the final contestants were chosen to debut in a new group named Iz One. Among the 12 members chosen to debut were AKB48’s Hitomi Honda, HKT48’s Nako Yabuki and HKT48’s Sakura Miyawaki.
