AKB48 is an all-female Japanese theater/idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. AKB48 is theater-based and has its own theater in Akihabara (a district in Tokyo) where the group performs once every weekday, and more than once on both Saturday and Sunday. The theater is set up on the 8th floor of Don Quijote.[1] Some of the title songs released as a single have been made a tie-in song for a television show or a television advertisement. The name derives from a shortened form... read more

AKB48 is an all-female Japanese theater/idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. AKB48 is theater-based and has its own theater in Akihabara (a district in Tokyo) where the group performs once every weekday, and more than once on both Saturday and Sunday. The theater is set up on the 8th floor of Don Quijote.[1] Some of the title songs released as a single have been made a tie-in song for a television show or a television advertisement. The name derives from a shortened form of 'Akihabara'. AKB48 currently holds the Guinness World Record for being the "Pop group with the greatest number of members".[2]

AKB48 is divided into three teams: Team A, Team K and Team B. There are a total of 56 members as of April 9, 2011, with 16 members each in team A and K, 15 members in team B,[3] and 9 members without team assignment, 8 of those promoted on December 8[4] and one on February 12, 2011.[5] Minami Takahashi is the captain of Team A, as well as the de-facto leader of the entire group,[6] Sayaka Akimoto is the captain of Team K,[7] and Yuki Kashiwagi is the captain of Team B.