AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto.
AKB48 is named after Akihabara (Akiba for short), the area in Tokyo where, on the 8th floor of a Don Quijote store, the band’s own theater is located.
AKB48 holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s “largest pop group”.Currently, it consists of four teams: Team A, Team K, and Team B with 16 members each and Team 4 with 11 members, summing up to a total of 59 members as of September 2, 2011.
Furthermore, there are a number of aspiring members, who are called “kenkyūsei” (“trainees”). Each team produces a new own concert show each theatrical season.
Major Debut: 2006
Albums
- 2008: Set List: Greatest Songs 2006–2007
- 2010: Kamikyokutachi
- 2010: Set List: Greatest Songs Kanzenban
- 2011: Koko ni Ita Koto
Team A
Team A’s captain Minami Takahashi is also the leader of the entire group.[79]
| Name | |
| Misaki Iwasa (岩佐 美咲?) (January 30, 1995 in Chiba) | |
| Aika Ōta (多田 愛佳?) (December 8, 1994 in Saitama) | |
| Shizuka Ōya (大家 志津香?) (December 28, 1991 in Fukuoka) | |
| Haruka Katayama (片山 陽加?) (May 10, 1990 in Aichi) | |
| Asuka Kuramochi (倉持 明日香?) (Sept. 11, 1989 in Kanagawa) | |
| Haruna Kojima (小嶋 陽菜?) (April 19, 1988 in Saitama) | |
| Rino Sashihara (指原 莉乃?) (November 21, 1992 in Ōita) | |
| Mariko Shinoda (篠田 麻里子?) (March 11, 1986 in Fukuoka) | |
| Aki Takajō (高城 亜樹?) (October 3, 1991 in Tōkyō) | |
| Minami Takahashi (高橋 みなみ?) (April 8, 1991 in Tōkyō) | |
| Haruka Nakagawa (仲川 遥香?) (February 10, 1992 in Tōkyō) | |
| Chisato Nakata (中田 ちさと?) (October 8, 1990 in Saitama) | |
| Sayaka Nakaya (仲谷 明香?) (October 15, 1991 in Iwate) | |
| Atsuko Maeda (前田 敦子?) (July 10, 1991 in Chiba) | |
| Ami Maeda (前田 亜美?) (June 1, 1995 in Tōkyō) | |
| Natsumi Matsubara (松原 夏海?) (June 19, 1990 in Fukuoka) |
Team K
Sayaka Akimoto is captain of Team K.[80]
| Name | |
| Sayaka Akimoto (秋元 才加?) (July 26, 1988 in Chiba) | |
| Tomomi Itano (板野 友美?) (July 3, 1991 in Kanagawa) | |
| Mayumi Uchida (内田 眞由美?) (December 27, 1993 in Tōkyō) | |
| Ayaka Umeda (梅田 彩佳?) (January 3, 1989 in Fukuoka) | |
| Yūko Ōshima (大島 優子?) (October 17, 1988 in Tochigi) | |
| Ayaka Kikuchi (菊地 あやか?) (June 30, 1993 in Tōkyō) | |
| Miku Tanabe (田名部 生来?) (December 2, 1992 in Shiga) | |
| Tomomi Nakatsuka (中塚 智実?) (June 18, 1993 in Saitama) | |
| Moeno Nitō (仁藤 萌乃?) (July 22, 1992 in Tōkyō) | |
| Misato Nonaka (野中 美郷?) (April 20, 1991 in Fukuoka) | |
| Reina Fujie (藤江 れいな?) (February 1, 1994 in Chiba) | |
| Sakiko Matsui (松井 咲子?) (December 10, 1990 in Saitama) | |
| Minami Minegishi (峯岸 みなみ?) (November 15, 1992 in Tōkyō) | |
| Sae Miyazawa (宮澤 佐江?) (August 13, 1990 in Tōkyō) | |
| Yui Yokoyama (横山 由依?) (December 8, 1992 in Kyōto) | |
| Rumi Yonezawa (米沢 瑠美?) (June 6, 1991 in Saitama) |
Team B
Yuki Kashiwagi is Team B’s captain.
| Name | |
| Haruka Ishida (石田 晴香?) (December 2, 1993 in Saitama) | |
| Tomomi Kasai (河西 智美?) (November 16, 1991 in Tōkyō) | |
| Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木 由紀?) (July 15, 1991 in Kagoshima) | |
| Rie Kitahara (北原 里英?) (June 24, 1991 in Aichi) | |
| Kana Kobayashi (小林 香菜?) (May 17, 1991 in Saitama) | |
| Mika Komori (小森 美果?) (July 19, 1994 in Aichi) | |
| Amina Satō (佐藤 亜美菜?) (October 16, 1990 in Tōkyō) | |
| Sumire Satō (佐藤 すみれ?) (November 20, 1993 in Saitama) | |
| Natsuki Satō (佐藤 夏希?) (July 1, 1990 in Sapporo, Hokkaidō) | |
| Shihori Suzuki (鈴木 紫帆里?) (February 17, 1994 in Kanagawa) | |
| Mariya Suzuki (鈴木 まりや?) (April 29, 1991 in Saitama) | |
| Rina Chikano (近野 莉菜?) (April 23, 1993 in Tōkyō) | |
| Natsumi Hirajima (平嶋 夏海?) (May 28, 1992 in Tōkyō) | |
| Yuka Masuda (増田 有華?) (August 3, 1991 in Osaka) | |
| Miho Miyazaki (宮崎 美穂?) (July 30, 1993 in Tōkyō) | |
| Mayu Watanabe (渡辺 麻友?) (March 26, 1994 in Saitama) |
Team 4
The team was announced on June 7, 2011.[67]
| Name | |
| Maria Abe (阿部 マリア?) (November 29, 1995 in Kanagawa) | |
| Miori Ichikawa (市川 美織?) (February 12, 1994 in Saitama) | |
| Anna Iriyama (入山 杏奈?) (December 3, 1995 in Chiba) | |
| Mina Ōba (大場 美奈?) (April 3, 1992 in Kanagawa) | |
| Haruka Shimazaki (島崎 遥香?) (March 30, 1994 in Saitama) | |
| Haruka Shimada (島田 晴香?) (December 16, 1992 in Shizuoka) | |
| Miyu Takeuchi (竹内 美宥?) (January 12, 1996 in Tōkyō) | |
| Mariya Nagao (永尾 まりや?) (March 10, 1994 in Kanagawa) | |
| Shiori Nakamata (仲俣 汐里?) (July 25, 1992 in Tōkyō) | |
| Mariko Nakamura (中村 麻里子?) (December 16, 1993 in Chiba) | |
| Suzuran Yamauchi (山内 鈴蘭?) (December 8, 1994 in Chiba) |
Trainees
- Rina Izuta (伊豆田 莉奈?) (November 26, 1995 in Saitama)
- Rena Katō (加藤 玲奈?) (July 10, 1997 in Chiba)
- Marina Kobayashi (小林 茉里奈?) (February 24, 1996 in Tōkyō)
- Nana Fujita (藤田 奈那?) (December 28, 1996 in Tōkyō)
- Rina Kawaei (川栄 李奈?) (February 12, 1995 in Kanagawa)
- Natsuki Kojima (小嶋 菜月?) (March 8, 1995 in Chiba)
- Wakana Natori (名取 稚菜?) (June 7, 1995 in Tōkyō)
- Ayaka Morikawa (森川 彩香?) (March 24, 1996 in Saitama)
- Karen Iwata (岩田 華怜?) (May 13, 1998 in Miyagi)
- Miyu Ōmori (大森 美優?) (September 3, 1998 in Kanagawa)
- Erena Saeed Yokota (サイード 横田 絵玲奈?) (April 15, 1997 in Tōkyō)
- Yukari Sasaki (佐々木 優佳里?) (August 28, 1995 in Saitama)
- Rika Suzuki (鈴木 里香?) (January 10, 1997 in Tōkyō)
- Juri Takahashi (高橋 朱里?) (October 3, 1997 in Ibaraki)
- Yūka Tano (田野 優花?) (March 7, 1997 in Tōkyō)
- Rina Hirata (平田 梨奈?) (July 16, 1998 in Fukuoka)
- Tomu Mutō (武藤 十夢?) (November 25, 1994 in Tōkyō)
- Aimi Eguch (江口愛実?) (February 11, 1995 in Saitama)
C: wikipedia & AKB48’s official website
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