AKB48 is a Japanese idol girl group formed on December 8, 2005. As of 2023, the group consists of 55 members, including 37 official members and 18 trainees.[1][2]
The member lineup often changes as members graduate from the group and are replaced by members promoted from trainee status. Monica Hesse of The Washington Post describes the AKB48 audition process as "American Idol-esque".[3]
The group has publicized special events for choosing the promotional and recording lineup for some of its singles.[4] In 2009, the concept of sōsenkyo (総選挙, "general elections") was introduced.[5] To obtain a ballot, voters have to buy the group's latest "election single",[6] or sign up for the official paid fanclub. The members who receive the most votes will get to participate in the recording of AKB48's next single,[5] and are heavily promoted.[7] The highest voted member earns the right to be the center performer during the group's live performances.[4][6]
Anyone can is the current leader or "general manager" of AKB48 and all of its sister groups.[8] The results from AKB48's annual general elections from 2009–2018 are included.
Members are listed by order below as they appear on the official website's roster as of January 10, 2024.[2]
Official members
| Denotes elections that the member did not take part in | |
| N/A | Denotes elections the member took part in but did not rank |
| Denotes ranking between #81 and #100 |
| Name | Birth date (age) | Generation | Election rank | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1[9] | 2[10] | 3[11] | 4[12] | 5[13] | 6[14] | 7[15] | 8[16] | 9[17] | 10 | |||
| Saho Iwatate (岩立 沙穂, Iwatate Saho) | October 4, 1994 | 13 | N/A | N/A | 66 | N/A | 51 | 42 | 22 | |||
| Yuiri Murayama (村山 彩希, Murayama Yuiri) | June 15, 1997 | 13 | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||
| Haruka Komiyama (込山 榛香, Komiyama Haruka) | September 12, 1998 | 15 | N/A | N/A | 21 | 52 | 52 | |||||
| Megu Taniguchi (谷口 めぐ, Taniguchi Megu) | November 12, 1998 | 15 | N/A | 69 | 45 | 33 | ||||||
| Seina Fukuoka (福岡 聖菜, Fukuoka Seina) | August 1, 2000 | 15 | N/A | N/A | 97 | 32 | 31 | |||||
| Mion Mukaichi (向井地 美音, Mukaichi Mion) | January 29, 1998 | 15 | N/A | 44 | 13 | 17 | 13 | |||||
| Yui Oguri (小栗 有以, Oguri Yui) | December 26, 2001 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 51 | 25 | |||||
| Yurina Gyōten (行天 優莉奈, Gyōten Yurina) | March 14, 1999 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||
| Narumi Kuranō (倉野尾 成美, Kuranō Narumi) | November 8, 2000 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | 34 | 30 | 49 | |||||
| Hiyuka Sakagawa (坂川 陽香, Sakagawa Hiyuka) | October 7, 2006 | Team 8 | ||||||||||
| Miu Shitao (下尾 みう, Shitao Miu) | April 3, 2001 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||
| Ayane Takahashi (高橋 彩音, Takahashi Ayane) | December 30, 1997 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||
| Remi Tokunaga (徳永 羚海, Tokunaga Remi) | October 1, 2006 | Team 8 | ||||||||||
| Serika Nagano (永野 芹佳, Nagano Serika) | March 27, 2001 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | 67 | 104 | |||||
| Haruna Hashimoto (橋本 陽菜, Hashimoto Haruna) | May 25, 2000 | Team 8 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 109 | |||||
| Erii Chiba (千葉 恵里, Chiba Erii) | October 27, 2003 | 2nd Draft | N/A | N/A | N/A | |||||||
| Haruka Kurosu (黒須 遥香, Kurosu Haruka) | February 28, 2001 | 16 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Minami Sato (佐藤 美波, Sato Minami) | August 3, 2003 | 16 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Kurumi Suzuki (鈴木 くるみ, Suzuki Kurumi) | September 2, 2004 | 16 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Manaka Taguchi (田口 愛佳, Taguchi Manaka) | December 12, 2003 | 16 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Ayami Nagatomo (長友 彩海, Nagatomo Ayami) | November 2, 2000 | 16 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Orin Muto (武藤 小麟, Mutō Orin) | July 22, 2000 | 16 | 55 | N/A | ||||||||
| Mizuki Yamauchi (山内 瑞葵, Yamauchi Mizuki) | September 20, 2001 | 16 | N/A | 92 | ||||||||
| Suzuha Yamane (山根 涼羽, Yamane Suzuha) | August 11, 2000 | 16 | N/A | N/A | ||||||||
| Maho Omori (大盛 真歩, Omori Maho) | December 5, 1999 | 3rd Draft | N/A | |||||||||
Trainees
Trainees (研究生, kenkyūsei) are members who have entered the group but have not been assigned or promoted to a fixed team. Currently the trainees are 17th generation-members who were introduced on May 4, 2022,[1] and 18th generation-members who were introduced on April 9, 2023.
| Name | Birth date (age) | Generation |
|---|---|---|
| Yuki Ōta (太田 有紀, Ōta Yuki) | March 27, 2004 | 17 |
| Kokone Kohama (小濱 心音, Kohama Kokone) | February 12, 2007 | 17 |
| Airi Satō (佐藤 綺星, Satō Airi) | June 24, 2004 | 17 |
| Eriko Hashimoto (橋本 恵理子, Hashimoto Eriko) | April 16, 2006 | 17 |
| Nozomi Hatakeyama (畠山 希美, Hatakeyama Nozomi) | January 25, 2008 | 17 |
| Yuki Hirata (平田 侑希, Hirata Yuki) | September 3, 2002 | 17 |
| Moka Hotei (布袋 百椛, Hotei Moka) | December 1, 2004 | 17 |
| Mayū Masai (正鋳 真優, Masai Mayū) | March 1, 2005 | 17 |
| Miyū Mizushima (水島 美結, Mizushima Miyū) | November 12, 2003 | 17 |
| Sora Yamazaki (山﨑 空, Yamazaki Sora) | May 13, 2004 | 17 |
| Yuna Akiyama (秋山 由奈, Akiyama Yuna) | December 12, 2005 | 18 |
| Sae Arai (新井 彩永, Arai Sae) | October 5, 2005 | 18 |
| Kasumi Kudō (工藤 華純, Kudō Kasumi) | June 15, 2005 | 18 |
| Hinano Kubo (久保 姫菜乃, Kubo Hinano) | February 2, 2006 | 18 |
| Yumemi Sako (迫 由芽実, Sako Yumemi) | February 5, 2006 | 18 |
| Kohina Narita (成田 香姫奈, Narita Kohina) | March 3, 2004 | 18 |
| Azuki Yagi (八木 愛月, Yagi Azuki) | March 22, 2005 | 18 |
| Yui Yamaguchi (山口 結愛, Yamaguchi Yui) | March 8, 2009 | 18 |
References
- 1 2 "AKB48、第17期生11名お披露目 最年少は14歳、メンバー実妹も" [AKB48, 17th generation 10 trainess unveiled, The youngest is 14 years old, including member's sister]. modelpress (in Japanese). April 20, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- 1 2 "AKB48公式サイト｜メンバー情報 (AKB48 Official Site – Member List)". AKB48 Official Website (in Japanese). Retrieved January 31, 2021. List is subject to change from graduations and transfers.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link) - ↑ Hesse, Monica (March 27, 2012). "Japanese girl group AKB48 breezes through D.C. in whirlwind of cuteness". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 9, 2012.
- 1 2 "Japan's AKB48, a girl pop group whose lineup is chosen by fans, set to go global". Daily News. New York. Associated Press. June 12, 2012. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- 1 2 AKB48 (February 14, 2011). What is AKB48? / AKB48 [Official] (in Japanese and English). YouTube. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - 1 2 St. Michel, Patrick; Kikuchi, Daisuke (May 31, 2012). "AKB48 'election' shows marketing brilliance". The Japan Times. p. 17.
- ↑ "Girl idol group about mass exposure, fans". The Japan Times. August 24, 2010. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
- ↑ "AKB48横山由依&向井地美音、新旧総監督が思い明かす". Modelpress (in Japanese). Netnative. April 8, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ↑ "AKB48 13thシングル選抜総選挙 結果発表" [13th single selection general election result announced]. AKB48 Official Blog (in Japanese). Ameblo.jp. July 8, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ↑ "AKB48 選抜総選挙 結果" [AKB48 Selection Election]. AKB48 Official Blog (in Japanese). Ameblo.jp. June 9, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ↑ "AKB48 22ndシングル選抜総選挙結果" [AKB48 22nd Single selection Election]. AKB48 Official Blog (in Japanese). Ameblo.jp. June 10, 2011. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ↑ "AKB48 27thシングル選抜総選挙 開票結果" [AKB48 27th Single selection election vote counting result]. AKB48 Official Blog (in Japanese). Ameblo.jp. June 6, 2012. Retrieved January 13, 2014.
- ↑ "AKB48 32ndシングル 選抜総選挙" [32nd single selection elections]. AKB48 Official Site (in Japanese). June 8, 2013.
- ↑ "AKB48 37thシングル 選抜総選挙" [37th single selection elections]. AKB48 Official Site (in Japanese). June 7, 2014.
- ↑ "AKB48 41stシングル 選抜総選挙" [41st single selection elections]. AKB48 Official Site (in Japanese). June 6, 2015.
- ↑ AKB48 45thシングル 選抜総選挙 [45th single selection elections]. AKB48 Official Site (in Japanese). Retrieved July 8, 2016.
- ↑ AKB48公式サイト AKB48 49thシングル 選抜総選挙 [49th single selection elections]. AKB48 Official Site (in Japanese). June 17, 2017.