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究極のポップアイドル

The Ultimate Pop Idols

Girl bands with clout

Since the 2000s, female pop idol bands have become big business in Japan. While some boy bands also have large followings, it’s nothing compared to the culture around the female aidoru (idols), who earn themselves legions of fans that worship them—as the name suggests—like idols. The Japanese even refer to this era as “Idol sengoku jidai”: the Age of the Wars of the Idols. It sounds like an epic era in history, and for all the money it has generated and the dramas it has created, it might as well be.

Arguably the reigning monarchs are the girls of AKB48. Formed in Tokyo’s otaku (geek) paradise of Akihabara in 2005, the band are the ultimate in prefabricated pop. The group was put together by mega-producer Yasushi Akimoto, who wanted to create a girl band with their own performance space (in Akihabara), to enable them to do daily shows and meet-and-greets for the obsessive fans. In order to keep up with this demanding schedule, the group has over a hundred members in their teens and early twenties, split into separate teams with a general theme and color to each group. The band is the highest-selling act in Japan and has occupied the first four places on the yearly singles chart since 2011. It has also spawned numerous spin-offs, with more “48 groups” around Japan and in several other Asian countries.

Be More Japan The Ultimate Pop Idols

fan interaction

Fans are given the opportunity to meet their idols at akushukai, or “handshake events.”

image

Most bands have a young, cute, and innocent image, which is reflected in their outfits and strict codes of behavior.

popularity contest

Fans of AKB48 can vote for their favorite members in the annual Senbatsu Election.

Be More Japan The Ultimate Pop Idols

Image

D Clockwise from top left: Pop idol fans; the band Perfume; a poster for AKB48 in Akihabara; AKB48 member Mayu Watanabe; AKB48 in concert.

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