Here’s another complete collection of AKB48 U-17 photographs scanned and uploaded for your viewing pleasure. Once again, they feature the AKB48 kenkyuusei, research students (some of whom have already been promoted to teams) in a variety of candid outdoor scenes.

Do give us a “like” to support the continual efforts of assembling and scanning these sets. Just like previous scans, the photos have also been uploaded them to the new Tumblr account here. Feel free to share them elsewhere, though a link back (to this page) would be nice.

Takahashi Juri.

Takahashi Juri.

Kato Rena.

Kato Rena.

Takahashi Juri and Kato Rena.

Kojima Natsuki.

Kojima Natsuki.

Natori Wakana.

Natori Wakana.

Kojima Natsuki and Natori Wakana.

Sasaki Yukari.

Sasaki Yukari.

Omori Miyuu.

Omori Miyuu.

Sasaki Yukari and Omori Miyuu.

Group shot.

As the AKB48 4th Senbatsu Election looms near, the single picked to carry the voting tickets is Manatsu no Sounds Good. The group’s 26th major single, it is a summer-themed single; this means a cheery song, the beach, and of course, bikinis. While many did not expect much from Manatsu no Sounds Good, it brings a few surprises.

Type A: Limited and Regular versions respectively.

The first is the ridiculously inflated number of girls in the lineup. While past singles have generally hovered around the magical number of sixteen girls, Manatsu no Sounds Good has a whopping thirty-six girls in its lineup. With a majority of the girls from the new Team 4, it’s clear who the management wants to showcase this time.

It does however, seem a little counter-intuitive. At least one girl represents Namba, Sakae and Hakata. With this move, much of the magic and recognition that comes from being in the single senbatsu is lost. While the sheer number is impressive to say the least, it does nothing to help distinguish each girl from the rest. With no time to devote to every girl, the aural and visual focus ends up falling on the usual suspects, with the addition of one or two special ones.

Type B: Limited and Regular version covers.

In what is becoming a disturbing trend, Manatsu no Sounds Good is mediocre. A commenter on the Internet said the ‘only good parts of Manatsu … are the intro and the hook’. And for the most part, I would have to agree. With a guitar lead into a synth brass intro, the song has a grand entrance, only to falter with a less-than-stellar verse. The song has no tension, and only when the chorus hits does the listener remember what they were listening to.

At this point, much of AKB48′s releases seem to follow this formula of stringing hooks together and hoping no one notices that the rest of the song isn’t very good. What does result however, are very good insert songs. And this single is no different, Manatsu is used to good effect in the AKB48 x Haruyama Cool Biz campaign. The calm verses make for easy listening and ensure viewers don’t tune out, the hook makes sure the song never leaves your head.

Also included in Type B of the single is Gugutasu no Sora. The song itself is nothing of note, other than the fact that it is sung by the Google+ senbatsu, a crop of girls picked from the members who were most active in AKB48′s venture into social networking.

Of note in the Google+ senbatsu is Matsumura Kaori. The SKE48 research student is quite certainly self-made, getting into the spotlight by doing her own web-show on Google+.

While many were surprised by lineup changes, the promotional video garnered even more discussion amongst fans. The video is directed by Higuchi Shinji, who is most known for Nihon Chinbotsu (Japan Sinks) and his skill in utilizing special effects. Despite what many expected (it is a summer theme, after all) his propensity for apocalyptic themes was not diminished with Manatsu.

In the video, viewers are taken on a surreal journey involving extra-terrestrials, death and the necessary, dancing on the beach in bikinis. Shinji accomplishes this through extensive use of CGI and clever manipulation of filters. What he ends up with is a 5-minute long mini-film chock full of (apparent) foreshadowing; much of this is never shown in any of the other promotional materials for the singles.

The PV begins with Watanabe Mayu attempting to resuscitate Maeda Atsuko. It is soon discovered that the old guard, comprised of the earlier generations of AKB48 are extra-terrestrial, coming down to Earth for reasons unknown.

The schoolgirls (made up of the newer generations of AKB48) that attempt to save them all die of mysterious, tuberculosis-like symptoms. As Mayuyu pedals down the road with Acchan, she gets transported into what looks like another world, one with dancing and singing girls.

Whether or not this is diegetic is up to the viewer; the video shifts between these two ‘worlds’, with a curious shot of Iwata Karen standing in the midst of corpses. As Watanabe assists the weakened Maeda at the end of the sequence, one cannot help but wonder the point of such a confusing video. Intentional or not, the video carries many messages and assures one thing: many will talk about it.

The cover for the Theater version.

Personally, the A-side of Manatsu no Sounds Good is too weak to justify a purchase on its own merit. However, the fact that it could be the last single that ever features Maeda Atsuko, and the inclusion of a voting ticket is something else. And of course, this is something that management is banking on themselves.

Aside from the sparse updates from me recently, I’ve finally gotten around scanning thorough most of my U-17 collection for the sake of backup purposes and to share it with the rest of the world. As most of these pictures have come from the tedious process of procuring the photos physically over the course of several months, I sincerely hope that readers will make an effort to link back to us when putting them up elsewhere. Please enjoy the good quality scans of the 2011 U-17 Spring series.

Kawaei Rina.

Kawaei Rina.

Ichikawa Miori.

Ichikawa Miori.

Kwaei Rina and Ichikawa Miori.

Kojima Natsuki.

Kojima Natsuki.

Suzuki Shihori.

Suzuki Shihori.

Kojima Natsuki and Suzuki Shihori.

Kobayashi Marina.

Kobayashi Marina.

Morikawa Ayaka.

Morikawa Ayaka.

Kobayashi Marina and Morikawa Ayaka.

Group Shot.

It’s been a while since Ono Erena has reappeared under the entertainment news radar, however it was only last month that the former AKB48 member finally announced that she would be making her solo debut soon. Her first single, titled “Erepyon” (えれぴょん) after her nickname, has been confirmed for release on 13th June 2012.

Formerly part of OhtaPro, Erepyon has since switched over to the LesPro agency and the single will be published by Warner Music Japan. It should be noted that Ono is credited for writing the song herself. Sound-wise, it’s a typical J-Pop song backed by heavy guitar riffs stereotypical of solo idols and wouldn’t be out of place as an ani-song. It is being used as the theme song for the ongoing drama Legal High which stars Aragaki Yui.

The video for Erepyon is mostly Japanese idol affair, with kirakira glittery dance scenes juxtaposed against whimsical story scenes of Erepyon being a boxer. There is little to fault as fans of Erena will be no doubt pleased simply to see her return but there is not much new ground to praise either.

Ono Erena.

Ono Erena graduated from AKB48 back in September 2010, stating overseas studies as her reason. She had been one of the founding members of Team K, joining the group as one of its youngest members at the age of 12. And while her popularity was already starting to recline when she graduated, she remained one of the group’s more popular members and a staple senbatsu, one of the group’s chosen faces.

aka Erepyon.

However, despite being supposedly away, Ono was subsequently spotted at concerts and around Japan in the company of a young man, much to the delight of tabloids.

Ono eventually returned to the media spotlight last year when she opened a new blog in July. Strangely, it was shut down soon after. But reopened again in October 2011. She explained that it was her initial plan to study in London but had changed her mind, stating her desire to remain in the entertainment industry as the reason, with the dream of becoming an actress.

Ono Erena had previous appeared in a small number of movies, including a starring role in the controversial film Sankaku during the time of her graduation.

Promotional images for her solo debut.

Now 19, Ono is now ripe for a serious solo venture into the entertainment scene. And while she brings with her a certain following from her previous involvement in AKB48, only time will tell if she will succeed.

While Ono Erena is no longer directly involved with the massive idol conglomerate, the release of Erepyon will follow a similar pattern of having too many versions. Covers below.

Limited A Cover.

Limited B Cover.

Limited C Cover.

Regular Cover.

Lawson Exclusive Cover.

After the somewhat disappointing Kibou Sanmyaku, Watarirouka Hashiritai finally returns again this month with another addictive single. The first of the year, Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! (少年よ 嘘をつけ！) is the group’s 4th single since taking on the Watarirouka Hashiritai 7 name and 10th overall.

Like their previous single, Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! is a tie in with Crayon Shin-chan, replacing Kibou Sanmyaku as the theme song for the cartoon. It is most notable however for being the first Watarirouka release without its leader, Hirajima Natsuki left the group in January when both her and AKB48 fellow member Yonezawa Rumi’s private Twitter account photographs lead to a scandal.

While Hirajima continues to be part of the OgiPro agency that manages Watarirouka Hashiritai, she has left both AKB48 and Watarirouka, suspending all activities with the groups. Instead, fellow OgiPro artist Urano Kazumi, who is also a former AKB48 and SDN48 member takes her place in the single. Urano, who more often goes by the nickname Cindy, joins the youthful group despite being 27 this year. She makes for an amusing addition to the Watarirouka Hashiritai team, even if it is only temporary.

It’s been a while since this song first debut with the new lineup at AKB48′s Super Saitama Arena concert in March but the single will finally arrive on 30th May 2012. In anticipation of its release, the music video for Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! began airing last week. You can see a preview at the official Warota YouTube Channel.

Like their other singles, Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! is a catchy tune, mostly due to a strong memorable chorus. But while the stye remains the same, Watarirouka’s sound seems to have changed a bit with this new single.

This is likely the result of member Nakagawa Haruka having to undergo surgery for her vocal cord nodules in February (altering her voice) and the new dynamic introduced by the substitution of Hirajima with Urano. Without Nakagawa and Hirajima’s low voices to act as a contrast, and with Iwasa Misaki being self conscious of her usual voice, Watarirouka has never sounded preppier.

Type A Cover.

Currently, Ota Aika would appear to be the only one inside attempting a deeper voice but her role in the single is minor. Instead, the majority of the lyrics are being fielded by Watanabe Mayu, even more so than the usual Warota norm.

Visually as well, there is an uncanny amount of Mayu even by Watarirouka standards. All of the video’s story scenes, or half of the total video features Watanabe interacting with a little boy who rescues her in the premise. This is an especially strong push for Watanabe, who has bearly come off from the success of her recent single Synchro Tokimeki.

Type B Cover.

Overall, Watarirouka loses a bit of familiarity in its sound but Shounen yo Uso wo Tsuke! is still a great single that will revive some of the Watarirouka flair. Being a fan myself, me and many others are no doubt are looking forward to it hitting stores later in the month. I’ll keep my hopes up for the B-sides as well since Watarirouka singles tend to have a good track record with coupling songs.

Type C Cover.

As the normal rotation goes, it is of course time for the summer releases of the groups in the AKB48 family. Nagiichi is NMB48′s first try at a summer themed single, this being their fourth release since debuting nearly a year ago. With Nagiichi, the girls will have finally released a single for every season of the year. How do the girls from Osaka handle their first bikini single, and does it live up to expectations, as the girls have just come off a solid release in Junjou U-19?

Type A jacket.

Nagiichi is short for ‘Nagisa de Ichiban Kawaii Girl’, or translated as the cutest girl on the beach. It is also one of the insert songs used in the commercial collaboration with entertainment chain Round 1. Showing the girls as employees of the chain, the commercials present the girls as they work at Round 1 and show off the attractions there, which include bowling and karaoke. These commercials can be seen at a special site created for the campaign here.

Type B jacket.

The single sees a re-shuffling of the senbatsu, with returning Team N member Yoshida Akari as well as Team M’s Tanigawa Airi and Murakami Ayaka getting spots ahead of Yogi Keira, Kishino Rika, and Kinoshita Haruna. As the number of members in NMB48 increases (the number is up to around 60 with the 3rd generation), we should be seeing more and more shuffling of the senbatsu as additional singles get released.

It remains to be seen if there is any real way for junior members to get their time in the limelight through singles, but some are definitely getting pushed.

The White and Red team system of previous singles stays in Nagiichi, with some shuffling done to the lineups.  However, it does not seem apparent that either of the teams have a particularly catchy song, unlike previous b-sides like Hoshokusha Tachi Yo.

Fans however, might be interested in Watanabe Miyuki’s solo song in the theater version. Titled Warukii, it’s a hilarious number about how she loves men with big muscles and needs someone to help her carry her bag. Some might also see the thinly veiled references to her being involved in the scandal that got her dropped from senbatsu of Oh My God!

Type C jacket.

The song itself is a guitar-driven melody, not unlike the previous singles. One problem that seems to be evident is that the guitar melodies are split down the middle between ‘very catchy’ and ‘totally forgettable’. Nagiichi’s guitar leads fall in the former, but unfortunately this also means that it is the only thing many listeners bring away from the song.

With the group singing format of NMB48, there are no memorable lines, and even the chorus is not a particularly engaging hook. The sound of the song is too generic to the point that it’s rather easy to tune it out if you’re multi-tasking in any way.

Theater version jacket.

Which brings up the other point about the Promotional Video. As is usual for summer themed singles, Nagiichi’s has the girls in bikini. Some question the propriety of having teen girls in bikinis. While that is a point of contention, it’s clear that they’re trying to cash in on the sex factor, with frontgirl Yamamoto Sayaka being put into a bikini a size too small whilst dancing at the front.

Disregarding that however, the PV features the girls doing watersports and cruising the roads of Guam in an open-top convertible. In the opinion of this writer, it’s a great PV that showcases the summer feel of the song.

The single drops on the 9th of May, 2012.

With AKB48′s next election looming around the corner, the fandom has been abuzz with many having their own take on what is going to happen this time. Supermerlion weigh in with our opinions on the concept of election, the new format, Maeda Atsuko’s graduation and of course, our own predictions for the rankings.

The guidebook for the election last year.

Election

Sho

Each year since the first, the AKB48 General Elections has been the most major event for Akimoto Yasushi’s pop empire. The “election single” is sold in mass quantities for 1000-1600 yen each, often at more than one copy per person. I personally know people who have bought as many as 500 copies all this in hopes of “pushing” their favorite member.

Unfortunately, experience has taught me that this election process is a little more than just another way to inflate their CD sales as any changes to the management and agency discussed lineup is immediately dismissed after the next single. With the AKB48 elections, AKB48 has manged to get people to actually pay for the opportunity to do a survey. It feels like the results are more a pat in the back to the companies involved and an affirmation that their investments are paying off.

Yan

In my opinion, the senbatsu system has always been a double-edged sword, both for the girls and the fans. There’s always the case of a girl that ‘hits it big’ with the senbatsu by seeing a rise in her popularity after being voted in, or getting picked to star in a new single. But it comes at a price, namely that of fan interaction. Having more time allotted to media exposure means that some of the members spend little to no time in the theater, or fans getting less time with her at handshake sessions.

It’s a good way for the girls to get more exposure, but that leaves you with the usual suspects, the time tested faces that have already had a lot of exposure as it is.

Mus

I’ve always felt like the senbatsu system was just a way for the company to get more money from the fans, under the pretext of giving them a chance to affect the group. Sure, this was true in the first staging of the elections, but the subsequent ones have always just been a populist matter, and it’s a never-ending cycle. The ones that get voted in are already popular, and thus already in the regular, non-vote senbatsu.

While this may be just the rant of someone who will probably never see his favorite member step anywhere close to the senbatsu of a single, it does feel like there is no reason to vote, when it’s clear that the more popular members will dominate, as usual.

The first AKB48 single lineup decided by election.

Revised Format

Sho

Some would argue (and AKB48 whitewashes it with this reason) that increasing the number of positions would increase the opportunities for members. But this isn’t the case as the unranked members would always appear in the other coupling songs anyways. Instead, the competition is much fiercer this year with teams dropping from 21, to just 16 members. The members will now be spread out over multiple different “versions” of the next single, with sales being the main motivation.

Fans like to think that placing well in these other teams would be of some significance. It does, in the sense that it gives them exactly one PV where they get to see their favorite member more. In the greater scheme of things, there is little benefit to the girl. AKB48′s Ota Aika debunked this misconception last year; many believed that being the Undergirls center was better than being a bottom ranking Senbatsu. From her own words, we learned otherwise. The ranking itself counts more than anything else when it comes to determining how valuable a particular girls is to the company. This is further proven in previous years when Sashihara Rino started her ascension, after placing in the low Senbatsu.

Yan

I don’t think this will really result in many changes, other than the fact that the usual senbatsu team is reduced to a 16-girl team. The remaining teams that are not part of the top 16 will probably be broadly categorized as three different teams of Undergirls, which to me sort of defeats the purpose. However, this is good news in that it is much easier to perform songs in a 16-girl team. This is the usual number that make up a fully functional team to perform on stage; the lower number means there is less of a logistical problem for them to perform the next senbatsu song.

Mus

The revised format sounds good. While of course most people would say that it doesn’t really help anything, especially considering that many would still appear in the other promotional videos. However I think it’s pretty great nevertheless that additional girls get called up. Personally I’m a big fan of taking exposure whenever you can get it.

I doubt that it will matter much in the grand scheme of things. However with the dropping of the Media Senbatsu concept, it’s entirely possible that this brings about more balanced treatment of the lower ranking girls. It’ll be interesting to see if any unexpected faces appear on the bottom rungs; fans might get even more motivated by the extension of senbatsu to pool their votes together.

Graduation

Sho

With Maeda Atsuko out of the picture from this year’s elections. Many are expecting much from this year’s elections indeed. While I would like to see some new faces, I see most simply shifting up one spot in her absence. A safe prediction for the number one spot would be Oshima Yuko, generally regarded and proven to be the group’s other fave. The hype from well timed releases might affect votes positively for Sashihara Rino, Watanabe Mayu and to a lesser extent the rest of Watarirouka.

Yan

It’s definitely an interesting prospect. With the departure of AKB48′s ace this could signal the start of real change in the group dynamics. It’s the biggest thing to happen in AKB history, and will definitely have some effect on the election. Her decision might influence the rest of the founding members to think about graduation, and possibly announce it themselves.

While immediate changes are unlikely, I think fans will have to adjust to understand that AKB48 isn’t just made up of the regular senbatsu that they always see on TV or in music videos.

Mus

This was a shocker for me. While I dread the day that it happens, this is an important step forward for the group as a whole. Losing the ‘face’ that they have depended on so much might have both positive and negative consequences, but it definitely nudges the group in the right direction. AKB48 is sufficiently big enough that they no longer need a figurehead like Maeda Atsuko to carry the group.

Just like she said in her graduation announcement, the juniors will have to pick up the slack, and this might definitely show when the girls receive their votes.

Predictions

Sho

The past year has been particular eventful for Watarirouka Hashiritai’s center with her recent solo music and drama debut. Historically, Watanabe has found popularity as the group’s “cute” type character, an archetype that often takes center stage in other Japanese idol groups. This differs for AKB48 though. It may be a good thing then that Watanabe has since shed this stereotype for a more mature image. With Kashiwagi Yuki losing in power this year, it is probable that Watanabe Mayu might finally take the second spot this year.

I would point out that Watanabe’s recent solo single, Synchro Tokimeki which shows off her more mature side, was probably the best selling recent 48 side project apart from Oshima Yuko’s and Not Yet’s Perapera Perao, at least until Sashihara’s Soredemo Sukidayo hits shelves next month. Interestingly, Synchro Tokimeki outsells even Mayu’s Watarirouka singles.

Yan

My Kami7, in descending order: Kashiwagi, Oshima, Watanabe, Shinoda, Sashihara, Takamina and Kojima. The first place is a toss-up between Kashiwagi and Oshima. There’s very little chance that Kashiwagi will capture that top spot if she doesn’t get it this time. Sashihara has the highest exposure amongst the front girls this year, so a huge jump into the Kami7 is not that unexpected really. I don’t see any huge jumps happening besides that and while there may be some swapping of places, I think the senbatsu would mostly stay the same.

Mus

With the ridiculous amount of publicity she has had so far this year, I think Sashihara will have enough voting power behind her to take at least a top 5 spot. While I don’t think that there will be any chances of any other girls besides the few already mentioned above to get into the Kami7, I think that Shinoda and Itano stand the risk of dropping out of the Kami7. Shinoda partly because of her lack of well, anything, and Itano just because it’s a continuation of the downward trend she’s exhibited since last year’s.

If I were to bet on one person jumping into the Kami7, it’d be Yokoyama Yui. She’s had her moments, and is definitely a nice fit. With AKB48′s adoption of Google+, it’s entirely possible for an unknown to come up the ranks, but it’s a long shot, and probably won’t breach the top 16.

The new single

Sho

Personally, I used to look forward most to the subsequent release after the elections, which often is a highlight of the year since it brought us great hits like Iiwake Maybe and Heavy Rotation. Unfortunately, last year’s Flying Get killed that enthusiasm. More so than who ranks at what place, hopefully this year’s post election release will be a good listenable one.

Yan

I’m not particularly hopeful for the upcoming single. While it may be good, it will be hard to match the catchiness and hook of Heavy Rotation. The good news however, is that the B-sides are usually good listening material, so that is something I am looking forward to.

Mus

I must be the only one that actually liked Flying Get. Nonetheless, the recent AKB48 releases have been lackluster at best, and hopefully this election single will get them out of their slump. I’m not holding my breath or anything, but it’s entirely possible that Aki-P will pull a rabbit out of his songwriting hat and give us a really great single to celebrate the new beginning of AKB48.

End

Well that about rounds up things on our end. Do you have any thoughts on the upcoming election? Share them in the comments below!

As the year comes to the mid-point, many AKB48 fans save money to spend on the highlight of the year: the single senbatsu election. Of course, 2012 is no different. The members featured in AKB48′s 27th single will be determined by fan votes. However, the election this year is different from the ones before, with changes being made to the system that will no doubt change how some cast their votes.

On the third day of AKB48′s concert in Saitama Super Arena, it was announced that the election tickets will be distributed with the 26th AKB48 single, Manatsu no Sounds Good. Aside from that, members of the official fanclubs and other related sites will have a vote as well. Voting will start from Manatsu no Sounds Good’s release date of 23rd May and votes will be tallied on the 6th of June.

All the groups in the AKB48 family based in Japan (this means not JKT48) will be eligible for votes. Fans will also be glad to hear that the ranking has been extended to 64 places, with the girls being split into four 16-man groups. Media Senbatsu, what AKB terms as a selection of girls that will appear in media, has now been scrapped. What will be done in its place has not been made clear.

The election announcement was not the only news from Saitama Super Arena. In a move that shocked much of Japan, Maeda Atsuko made public her imminent graduation from AKB48. A few days after this announcement, she also appeared on a video published on the AKB48 official YouTube channel, announcing her decision to not participate in the coming elections, starting talk on the internet about who could possibly take her place at the top.

With so many things happening for the election this time, how will it affect the votes? Only time will tell.

According to estimates, auditions will start as early as August this year. And by December Shanghai48′s team “S” will be ready to perform just before AKB48′s 7th anniversary. Looks like it will be a really busy year for overseas 48 groups getting ready for the stage!

After a period of being closed for renovation works, the AKB48 Cafe Singapore re-launched with a new look. With several promotions going on, we visited the cafe to see what changes were made to the design, and how the cafe looks like now. After spending some time in the new cafe, the verdict is in: the results are positive.

Patrons gathering outside the AKB48 Cafe & Shop.

The main objective of the renovation of the cafe was to merge the cafe and shop together into a single entity. As opposed to the previous arrangement of having the shop on the second floor of SCAPE and the cafe on the third, this relocation means that visitors will now be able to enter both the shop and cafe on the same level. This somewhat mirrors the AKB48 Cafe and Shop in Japan, where both are next to one another.

The shop entrance now occupies what used to be the counter area.

Of course, this also meant a re-organization of how the goods are arranged in the shop. The new shop is even smaller than what was previously rather abysmal. However, one does not really notice the smaller size of the shop. Maybe this is due to the window partitioning the shop and cafe entrance, giving an impression of a larger space.

Fans of popular members were available for purchase.

Notable additions to the catalog are items that were available only at the 7&i net-shop in Japan. This means that AKB48 fans who want these items can instead purchase them physically at the shop, instead of having to jump through several hoops to get them on the internet.

Muffler towels of several popular members.

Charms to attach to your cellphone.

One thing that was disappointing during out visit to the revamped AKB48 shop yesterday was that only the popular members had goods on sale; even the members who had come to Singapore did not get space on the shelves for their goods, instead being replaced by the more popular frontgirls. While this is no doubt a wise business move, it was a little disheartening nonetheless. Some who came specifically to take advantage of the local availability of net-only goods left disappointed.

Oshimen mirror keychains.

Of course, key-chains were not the only things on sale at the shop. Also available were fridge magnets styled to look like the portraits of the girls you see when you visit the AKB48 Theater in Akihabara.

A wall of newly added goods.

The re-launch also meant new things for the AKB48 Cafe. Promotions such as free curry rice with a purchase of the AKB48 Official Singapore photosets and a special coaster with every drink purchase meant that many of the fans came down to visit.

The standee was moved to the inside of the cafe.

The cafe was packed full, with queues forming even before the allotted time for the beginning of the promotion at 5 pm. Many were there to visit the shop and to claim their curry rice. The AKB48 Cafe girls also gave a performance, performing hit songs like NMB48′s Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shoujo and Not Yet’s Naminoori Kakigoori. Unfortunately and to the dismay of many, it was rather early into the event, and many missed it, with no repeat performances this night.

The cafe was full-house by the time we got seats.

The serving of curry given free was not very large, but it was to be expected. Many who were asked felt that it was sufficient, especially considering that it came free with a purchase anyway.

Curry rice, decorated by a patron to enhance the eating experience.

Visitors received a coaster with a drink purchase.

The re-opening also saw several people visiting the cafe for the first time outside of events. The changed menu, while not particularly new, drew some comments from patrons, with their comments directed at the improved aesthetics of the menu.

The new-ish menus, with photos of the members and dishes.

We were served by a new staff member, Risa.

We were a little disappointed that the ice-cream didn’t come with free coasters, but were told that the deal was exclusively for drinks, despite the ice-cream costing more than most of the drinks offered and needing coasters anyway.

Vanilla, Ocean, Strawberry and Green Tea flavours were available.

It remains to be seen if this change in merchandise selection will bring in more customers than usual at the shop. The merging of the cafe and shop is a good change that facilitates shopping, as well as letting customers, who would otherwise be too intimidated to step into the restaurant-esque cafe, check it out.

It also solves the overcrowding problem that sometimes plagued the AKB48 Official Shop on event days; the space outside the cafe is more than sufficient to deal with an influx of people. Hopefully, this signifies a greater variety of goods being brought in and the addition of more net-only exclusives.

Photo of coaster courtesy of Lyrapro.

In early March, NMB48 released its guidebook, the NMB48 Complete Book 2012. This marks the first time the Osaka-based group has released an official guidebook since its formation in October of 2010. With pages covering the whole of NMB48 (this includes teams N, M and all the research students), the book is a hefty one. Described by some members as a book where you can “learn everything” about NMB48, what does it have in store for the fans?

Stickers of all members.

The first thing you see when you open the book is a set of stickers depicting all the members in various clothes (ostensibly, their own). While personally I’ve never found the use of small stickers like these, I’m sure others would beg to differ.

Interview with Yamada Nana.

This is followed by interviews with the Top 3 members of NMB48, namely Yamada Nana, Watanabe Miyuki and Yamamoto Sayaka. They speak of their experiences over the past one and a half years, and how far they’ve come since then. It gives fans an insight on how these girls (who represent the group as a whole) think about their own fame. Also included is an interview with the producer of the 48 groups, Akimoto Yasushi.

A page for Kinoshita Haruna.

Team M member Hikawa Ayame.

The 3rd generation research students get a page each.

The pages are standard fare for guidebooks, with questions on their preferences, likes and several lifestyle questions. There are also small pieces of profile information, like their nicknames and date of birth. Of note are the write ups that each girl does on herself. The topic seems to be open; Shiroma Miru starts off by saying how she cries really easily. Also included at the end of each team’s section are some things they were made to do: for example, Team N’s has a tabulation of their answers to a survey.

The timeline of NMB48.

After the member pages end start a section named ‘NMB48 CHRONICLE’, where they trace NMB48′s history, from the first day of auditions to February 2012. Giving an overview of all the important happenings, this spread provides easy reference to satisfy any fan’s curiosity.

Photos from Team N in Singapore.

The subsequent pages recount the milestones in NMB48′s career, with events such as the Rock Paper Scissors tournament and Team N’s visit to Singapore last year. In addition to shots of the girls performing, fans also get a glimpse of what it’s like backstage.

An interview with Kaneko Takeshi.

Those interested in what it’s like to be the manager of NMB48 would be glad to see that there’s also an interview with Kaneko Takeshi. The NMB48 manager gives his opinions on the goings-on in NMB48, and what challenges they faced at the start.

Candid shots of the members.

The book comes to a close with off-shots of the members and pages describing various signed goods as well as introducing readers to the discography of NMB48.

The A3-sized poster included with the Complete Book.

All in all, the book is a great buy for both new and old fans alike. The complete profiles of all the members are available, with all the information one could possibly want being provided in the members’ individual pages. Coupled with solo shots (for the ones officially placed into teams), the NMB48 Complete Book is worth the 1429yen it costs to purchase it.

Since making the Senbatsu Election in 2010, Sashihara Rino has been going places. Now one of the group’s most recognizable faces, Sashihara jumped some of the tightest 10 spots last year to come in at an amazing #9 and now appears in her own weekly variety show among other accomplishments. Next month, Sashihara will be able to add another achievement under her belt with the release of her first ever solo music single, Soredemo Sukidayo (それでも好きだよ).

The video for Soredemo Sukidayo has already started airing on Japanese television. A preview can be seen online at the official avex YouTube Channel. The record label will be releasing Sashihara’s debut single only on May 2 but as expected of avex, promotions for Soredemo Sukidayo have begun rather early.

It is clear that Sashi’s producers know what she is loved for as all her best qualities are highlighted in the video. Within, Sashi is looked at from a number of angles: as an idol, as a wota and as a normal person.

Marketing stunts aside, Sashihara Rino found immense popularity over the past couple of years due to her down to earth, underdog image which in some ways make her the very personification of the AKB48 idea.

Type A.

This is enforced in Soredemo Sukidayo’s promo video where we see three different facets of Sashihara’s character. In the first two, we see Sashihara Rino living a rather lost, unemployed life back in her hometown of Oita and as a normal school student, where she is shown to be awkward in relationships. Both of these play on Sashi’s normalcy and as a “heta” (unskillful) character, a running gag that has been used to sum up the Sashihara concept.

Type B.

But the strongest part of the video is in how the drama segments are juxtaposed with scenes of her being an idol, in a glittery style reminiscent of 80s and 90s Japanese idols (Matsura Aya comes to mind). This is especially amusing, since it is a well known fact that Sashihara is an idol otaku herself and there is a little tongue-in-cheek humor in her emulation.

Type C.

With some knowledge of the many faces of Sashihara Rino in mind, it is difficult, even for non-fan such as myself not to find her portrayal in the video endearing. While the style of music may not appeal to everyone, its catchy tune and clear hook, make Soredemo Sukidayo a clear winner. And if I were to offer my own opinion, would even go so far as to consider it the best release to have come out of the 48 family so far this year.

Type D.

Not coincidentally, Soredemo Sukidayo is being used as the theme song for Sashihara’s first drama, Muse no Kagami. The midnight drama began airing earlier this year.

In typical fashion, Soredemo Sukidayo will be released a number of different versions. There are a total of 4 different coupling songs randomly spread out over 3 CD+DVD versions and a CD only theater version containing all songs. Also, in addition to the single and its music video, each CD+DVD edition will contain one of three different Sashihara Rino “Virtual Date” video collections.

On the 1st of March, one half of SKE48′s double Matsui combination released her photobook, Kingyo. Transliterated to Goldfish, the photobook is Matsui Rena’s first solo photobook, making it the first one from the SKE48 family. Even at the time of writing this, Kingyo is still in the top 5 of Amazon Japan’s best-seller ranking, nearly a month from its release date. We take a peek…

Behind the camera for Kingyo is Marutani Yoshihisa. A photographer for various advertisements and magazines, Yoshihisa has under his belt works for companies like Epson, Calbee and was also responsible for photos taken to promote the AKB48 single, Namida Surprise. So him being in charge for Rena’s photobook comes as no surprise, nor is the resulting quality of the book.

Starting off the first pages.

When Kingyo was first announced, many fans (including this writer) wondered what kind of book it would be. Matsui Rena, not known for having the most robust of figures, would certainly be an ill-fit for anything that showcased her body. Of course, considering the high bikini content of most idol photobooks, most fans wrote Kingyo off as destined for failure.

One of many shots showcasing her legs.

It turns out that these worries were for naught. While there were still some rather provocative shots in the photobook, frontal shots of Rena were obviously avoided, showing a great deal of awareness on the photographer’s part of Rena’s shortcomings.

Putting Rena in different dresses.

Instead, Yoshihisa took advantage of Rena’s thin stature to showcase a variety of dresses and get-ups, utilizing her as a model to show off cocktail dresses and casual wear not unlike what one might see in everyday Japan.

More from the cover shoot.

The book also contains a few well done 2-page spreads. Most photobooks use such spreads to showcase the model’s full body length, which turns the center binding into very visible distraction of the photo. Kingyo uses spreads to instead showcase landscapes, allowing for wider composition of shots.

Great landscape spreads.

Thematically, this photobook is top-notch. While some may complain of the relative depression of the photobook, much of the book is allegory to Rena’s own existence as an idol. It showcases the happiness one gains from one’s job, and slowly gets darker as the day ends and she retreats to her home after work. The time of day seems to reflect the mood in the photos; the night shots are broody, while the day shots happy and bright.

Close-up shots of Rena in the rain.

All-in-all, Kingyo is a photobook beyond my own expectations. By playing off Rena’s strengths (that lie in her ability to convey emotions) and not forcing the shots (like with unneeded bikini photos), what turns out is a result that would surprise even the Rena fan.

The poster that comes with the photobook.

I would gladly recommend Kingyo to first-time photobook buyers. Its thickness and quality make it a no-brainer purchase, especially at the cheap price point of 1429 yen. Hopefully, this trend continues with other photographers. I for one, would like to see more of Fashion Rena, and less of Swimsuit Rena.

In celebration of her turning 20, Maeda Atsuko’s new photobook has been released. Titled Bukiyou (不器用, Clumsy), the book is Maeda’s fifth since debuting as an AKB48 member. Following a gap of nearly two years since the release of her photobook trilogy, Bukiyou follows Maeda on a trip to Paris. Fashion photographer Nakamura Kazutaka takes the rein for Bukiyou. While he has photographed celebrities like Fujii Rena or Tanaka Rena in the past, much of his experience has been with advertisements and fashion shoots. How does the more street-oriented Bukiyou compare to its predecessors?

Sharing some laughs with locals.

The photobook itself seems to look (and feel) more like a travel diary than it does a simple collection of photos. While this could be intentional, it does give the reader the feeling of being able to see the real Maeda Atsuko interacting with the sights, sounds and people of Paris.

A collage of photos of Maeda eating.

Bukiyou takes advantage of Acchan’s voracious appetite, with many shots of the idol eating and even a collage that consists mostly of photographs of Maeda and food. She has expressed more than once her desire to visit Paris, and Bukiyou captures her delight at being able to walk the streets of the city of light.

A precursor to the more revealing shots.

Of course, it is widely known that many do buy photobooks for the raunchy photos you might get, especially when considering the previous Acchan photobooks. While a photo of a hand-bra had fans up in arms about the inappropriateness, the shots were all tastefully done and showcase Maeda’s versatility as a photography model. Of course, it being Paris means there aren’t any bikini photos in the whole book. Instead, those are substituted with lingerie and not-so-subtle cleavage photos.

While not many, the two page spreads are great.

However, the photobook does have some flaws. While it gains points for sticking to a diary theme and does it well, the same street-photography mantra results in technical issues with many of the photographs. The photobook is rife with photos that are out-of-focus or blurry; there are some where this is justified, the blur showing movement and creating excitement. In others, this just seems to be a case of bad photo choice. As an aside, the cover of the book is not in crisp clear focus either.

It's not our photograph, it's really that blurry.

It was a little disappointing to see that there were not many shots of her in different outfits, or trying out some fashion shots, given the location the shoot is staged in. However, in the grand scheme of things, this is a minor complaint that doesn’t lessen the experience.

A fold-out poster-cum-diary comes with the book.

Thematically, Acchan’s new photobook is great. Fans both new and old will love the candid feel of Bukiyou as they follow her exploits in Paris. The thematic success of the book is marred, however, by the large amounts of blurry photographs within. Nevertheless, it is a good buy, although some might be wary should they want to obtain it for tips on good photography.

With the AKB48 Kenkyuusei promotion announcement by AKB48 theater manager Togasaki at the Super Saitama Arena Concert last weekend, the final 5 members have been finally added into Team 4 and thus making it a full team. Congratulations to the 5 Kenkyuusei who have made it into the official AKB members club! Here’s a short introduction to all the girls of the completed Team 4.

Just a little bit of history. Before the formation of Team 4 in June 2011, all of the 9th generation members were already promoted as official members during the 5th anniversary theater performance back in December 2010. While were an occasional 1 or 2 members added to the team 4 subsequently, it was not until March 2012 that a full 16 girl strong team was finally assembled.

Shimazaki Haruka.

Paruru.

49. Shimazaki Haruka

Currently occupying the #0 spot in Team 4′s stage performance, Shimazaki Haruka has long been one of the favored girls of 9th gen during her research student days. In fact she placed 28th in AKB48′s 2010 election rankings, the highest ranking ever received by a kenkyuusei. Though it still remains a mystery as to why she was unranked in the following 2011 AKB48 election after attaining such a high rank previously.

Shimazaki Haruka might not have a permanent standing spot among the senbatsu performances but you’ll be sure that if any of the main girls couldn’t make it for the said media performance, Haruka is most definitely the girl replacing.

Shimazaki Haruka confessed that she has a soft spot for female idols, particularly favoring Tokyo Girls’ Style. With that in mind, it is said that she also secretly grades every member in the 48 family in terms of how “idoly” they are. Watanabe Mayu was of course given the full 100 marks in terms of idol-ness. For that reason, her nickname “Paruru” was tailored for her by Yonezawa Rumi, just like how she previously had given a similar sounding nickname to Watanabe.

Paruru is definitely one of the faces for Team 4 and has been furiously appearing in all sorts of media (sometimes even tie-ins with the Senbatsu members) for more exposure. She is one girl you won’t miss even if when new to Team 4.

Just last weekend during the final day of the Super Saitama Arena concert, it was announced that Shimazaki Haruka will join the Big Apple agency.

Oba Mina.

Minarun.

50. Oba Mina

Serving as the captain of the new Team 4, Oba Mina is one of the oldest members in the team. Since 2007, Oba Mina had tried auditioning for AKB Kenkyuusei spots without any success but after a total of 3 times, was has finally admitted into the 9th generation student. Since then “3rd time’s a charm” has been her favorite phrase.

Perhaps thanks to this same perseverance, it didn’t bring down her spirit or determination to stay in AKB48 despite being involved in a scandal last year. She was suspended in all AKB48 activities, including important ones like the AKB48 Janken Tourament and the first theater debut performance of Team 4. After begging the management (and fans) to give her a chance, theater manager Mr Togasaki Tomonobu finally allowed her comeback at the start of this year.

Prior to her suspension, Oba Mina was one of the more popular girls of 9th gen. Fans even furiously threw in votes during the AKB48 General Election to get her to #35, making her one of the only 2 Kenkyuusei Undergirls in 2011. After the scandal broke out, I would believe that she had probably also broken many fans’ hearts. Since her comeback this year, the management has been generous in featuring her in all sorts of media. Only time will tell if the fans have forgiven her.

During the final day of the Super Saitama Arena concert, it was announced that Oba Mina will join Japan Music Entertainment.

Takeuchi Miyu.

Miyumiyu.

51. Takeuchi Miyu

Before the inclusion of Tano Yuuka as an official AKB48 member, Takeuchi Miyu was the youngest fully fledged AKB48 member. Even though she has now been relieved of this “youngest” duty, Miyu still remains one of the major key girls in Team 4.

With a mother who is a veteran in show business, Takeuchi Miyu has been trained since young in all aspects of performing, including vocal training, music lessons and even classical ballet.

Due to her past experience and training, Takeuchi Miyu was given the role of backup (should they be unable to attend a performance) for the “ace members” of all 3 teams at the AKB48 theater. To perform as a substitute of the 3 aces (Maeda Atsuko, Oshima Yuko and Watanabe Mayu) would surely have to be a silent confirmation from the management as to Takeuchi being an invaluable asset both to the team, and AKB48 as a whole. Despite her age, Takeuchi is known to be one of the best singers within the 48 family, rivaling the likes of Takahashi Minami herself.

Takeuchi Miyu has been admitted into the Oh Enterprise agency during the announcement held in Super Saitama Arena last weekend.

Nagao Mariya.

Mariyagi.

52. Nagao Mariya

Another popular member of Team 4, the two most notable features of Nagao Mariya would be her duck lips and yaeba (double teeth). These two charm points alone have drawn her quite a decent following within the AKB48 fans. While yaeba is fairly common trait among Japanese people, Nagao’s stand out rather prominently. When combined with her lips, her smiles should have earned her the title of “pouting killer” rather than her catchphrase, “wink killer”.

Oddly, compared to the other popular members in Team 4, Nagao Mariya receives much less exposure. This is possibly why despite her popularity in theaters and handshakes, Nagao has yet to grow enough of a fan base to earn her a rank in the AKB48 elections.

Also strangely, is the fact that Nagao Mariya is the only among the 9th generation girl who currently does not belong to any agency. Maybe she’s focusing on her studies before finally stepping into the entertainment world?

Yamauchi Suzuran.

Ranran.

53. Yamauchi Suzuran

If AKB48 were to give out a “best fan service” award among its members it is likely that Yamauchi Suzuran would win. Tales of even non-fans walking away happily after a handshaking session with Suzuran is not unheard of. And waving and giving ample eye contact to fans during stage performances is also part of Yamauchi’s norm.  Not to mention that she constantly updates the AKB blogs with wacky and interesting stuff to keep fans wanting for more.

When combined with her good MC skills and dancing abilities, it’s little wonder why Ranran even as a research student had managed to get herself ranked at 36th in 2010 AKB48 General Elections. I even know of a fan who had casted 500 votes for Suzuran! It might sound absurd, but if a fan was willing to devote 500 votes to a “mere” kenkyuusei at that point of time, you can only imagine the drawing power of Yamauchi Suzuran.

Also known as the golf girl, with both parents as professional golfers, Yamauchi Suzuran has since her youth been trained in the sport. She even participated in a few golf competitions while off duty from AKB48 duties and even now she’s going to be have a permanently weekly part in a golf program.

An interesting side note, is that other than sharing the same birthday as Oota Aika and Yokoyama Yui. Ranran was also born on the anniversary of AKB48′s debut theater performance!

During the Super Saitama Arena concert, it was announced that Yamauchi Suzuran will join Horipro.

Shimada Haruka.

Haruu.

54. Shimada Haruka

With MC abilites not losing to veteran members like Minegishi Minani or Sashihara Rino, Shimada Haruka is one of the most vocal members in Team 4. More often than not, during theater MC segments or variety shows, Haruka usually is able to spice up the atmosphere with her witty chats and daring speeches.

Yet despite her strong and daring exterior, Shimada is known to get nervous and stressed out from her heavy duties. This is especially true during times such as when Team 4′s captain, Oba Mina was suspended from AKB48 activities and Shimada Haruka had to take up the reins as temporary captain in her place. At some occasions she could be seen in solitary meditation at the backstage before the start of a theater or concert performance.

Shimada Haruka will be joining the Office 48 family, as announced during the Super Saitama Arena Concert. Given that most of the other Office48 members are in the DiVA group, may it be that we’ll be able to see the inclusion of Haruka in the not so distant future?

Nakamura Mariko.

Komari.

55. Nakamura Mariko

Possessing a booming voice and a desire to perform, Nakamura Mariko also brings out some of the better MCs in the team with her great impersonation skills. Along with Takeuchi Miyu, Nakamura holds one of the best vocals among the 9th generation members. Also a big fan of enka music, it was said that Mariko would make a great enka duo with Iwasa Misaki after hearing her performance in AKBINGO’s karaoke special.

Despite not being the oldest of members in the team, Mariko is often regarded as the motherly figure amongst the group. Through her team members’ votes, she is also said to possess the most beautiful pair of legs. It’s little wonder that she used to be a former gravure idol before joining AKB48.

Due to the fact that she shares the same name as Shinoda Mariko, members started using the nickname “Komari” to differentiate them. This nickname has since stuck with her as both her catchphrase and nickname.

Nakamura Mariko will be joining Shinei Production as per announced recently.

Ichikawa Miori.

Fresh Lemon.

56. Ichikawa Miori

You might not be familiar with her name, but there is no way that you wouldn’t recognize Ichikawa Miori’s infamous nickname “Fresh Lemon”. Her catchphrase “I want to become a Fresh Lemon!” has been stuck in everyone’s head since her debut in AKB48, making her one of the most recognizable girls outside of the senbatsu.

Ichikawa gets her nickname of course from her ridiculous love of lemons. And apart from being able to eat them raw (without flinching), she boasts an extensive collection of lemon-themed goods. The management has been quick to catch onto this and the other traits that make up her wacky personality.

Ichikawa Miori was so outstanding in her display of caricature-like personality that she had managed to win over many fans in the shortest of time, evident from the fact that she gotten 39th place in 2011′s AKB48 elections. Making her one of the only 2 kenkyuusei ranked in the top 40 last year.

Together with Nakamata Shiori, Ichikawa Miori was one of the fastest 10 generation members to be officially promoted. Prior to that, fans often jokingly said that Ichikawa Miori belonged in the “9.5 gen” due to the amount of push and media exposure the management had given her. Ichikawa was also known to be closest to the 9th generation Oba Mina. She is also referred to as Miorin, or “Tenshi” by her fans.

Despite her youthful appearance and childlike demeanor, Ichikawa is actually one of Team 4′s older members. A trait that is sometimes pointed out during variety programs. Her tiny frame also hides the fact that she is one of the group’s stronger singers, having served as Masuda Yuka’s under as a kenkyuusei.

Prior to joining AKB48, Ichikawa Miori was part of Stardust Agency and another idol group called Power Age back when she was just 12 years old. Unfortunately, she is limited by her inability to articulate fluently due to a lisp.

During the members agency allocation during the Super Saitama Arena concert, it is announced that Ichikawa Miori will be joining Ogipro. Looks like Watariouka Hashiritai 7 will be welcoming a new member soon.

Nakamata Shiori.

Shiorin.

57. Nakamata Shiori

As a student of the prestigious Waseda University’s School of Political Science and Economics, it is said that probably no one else in the family of AKB48 members can beat Nakamata Shiori in terms of academic excellence. On the day it was announced that Shiori had been admitted into Wasada, the management had also decided to promote her. Coincidence? Maybe not. That aside, being able to cope with actively performing in the AKB48 theater and studying in a highly stressful university did earn me a high respect for her dedication.

Due to her highly busy schedule, Nakamata Shiori is usually active only in theater performance. Her appearances outside of the theater are limited to but sparse variety programs. This lack of media exposure does affect her fan base but she’s still very well received in theater shows.

The equally prestigious Watanabe Pro had spread their arms to welcome Nakamata Shiori into their agency, perhaps once she graduates from Waseda, there will be ample entertainment related opportunities waiting for her? Nakamata has in the past expressed her interest in journalism.

Abe Maria.

Maria.

58. Abe Maria

It might seem a little unusual for this un-idol-like girl to be admitted into Team 4, but Abe Maria is fast becaming one of the dark horses of the group. Even prior to her official promotion announcement, the management have been actively pushing Abe into all sorts of media coverage through the group’s full repertoire of variety programs and even stealthily with the senbatsu in product tie-ins. She was also one of the few kenkyuusei members given the chance to take part in overseas performances.

Perhaps knowing that each team needs a little diversity, Abe Maria was slowly groomed and exposed to more than just theater performance, possibly to boost her confidence as she is known to be rather shy and reserved at times. Abe is known to be closest to Iriyama and a self-declared fan of Ichikawa Miori.

As one of the taller and more athletics girls, Abe Maria is best known for her dancing skills, which she had admitted to pouring in countless hours of self practice to reach the level that she is at now. Abe has expressed her dream to become a model one day and it looks like AKS is helping to path that future for her. Aside from that, Abe is also known for her amusingly blunt nature.

Together with Oba Mina, Abe Maria will be joining Japan Music Entertainment.

Iriyama Anna.

Annin.

59. Iriyama Anna

Regarded as the member with the the highest hopes of being promoted among the kenkuusei at that time, Iriyama Anna was promoted together with Abe Maria to the newly formed Team 4 during the Seibu Dome concert back in 2011.

Despite her refined features, Iriyama is fully Japanese. She often plays upon this fact by mixing English words into her sentences and generally speaking as if she were a foreigner (with strange Japanese). Both fans and AKB48 members have pointed out her resemblance to Jaejoong from Korean boy band DBSK.

As quite the opposite to Abe Maria, the vocal Annin is rather adept at MCs, which she uses to display her endearing personality that has melted a good many fans’ hearts. Iriyama also declares her love for strawberries and has integrated this into her catchphrase.

In last week’s announcement Iriyama Anna signed up with the excellent Ohta Pro, which their lineup includes AKB48’s most popular girls, Maeda Atsuko and Oshima Yuko. Looks like she will really be going places!

Kato Rena.

Renacchi.

60. Kato Rena

A shy and reserved girl on stage, Kato Rena has since grown to be able to handle herself better during introductions and MCs. AKS has probably realized her potential after watching her performances improve dramatically in just a year since she debut and had decided to give her a larger push. The “push” a sudden influx of appearances in all manner of TV programs, magazines and other forms of media.

Interestingly, Kato Rena shares the same birthday with AKB48′s ace, Maeda Atsuko. Maybe the management had seen her to have the potential to become their next ace?

Kato Rena is one of the newly promoted kenkyuusei to Team 4.

Kawaei Rina.

Ricchan.

61. Kawaei Rina

When it comes to popularity, Kawaei Rina single handily wins hands down as the single most popular new kenkyuusei to get promoted into Team 4. Just how popular is she? During National Handshake events, Kawaei’s queue was comparable to those of the top senbatsu’s.

Part of Kawaei Rina’s charms comes from her cute boyish looks and equally boyish personality. Unlike some of the other members who were spotted early and pushed from the start, Kawaei didn’t stand out as much of a potential keeper to the management until the fans eventually made them realized what a gem they were missing out on. Since then Kawaei has been actively pushed in many of the group’s media and especially on the Ariyoshi AKB Kyowakoku program.

Ricchan is currently the only 11th generation member in Team 4, and the only other to be promoted besides former 7th generation member Suzuki Shihori. She shares the same birthday as teammate Ichikawa Miori.

Iwata Karen.

Karen.

62. Iwata Karen

Among her fellow 12th generation peers, Iwata Karen easily holds the best vocal and dance ability. She also possesses a confidence and calm that allows her to handle herself easily on the stage despite her young age (she turns 14 later this year). This is probably the reason why Iwata plays an active role in theater performances and important events.

Like Takeuchi Miyu, Karen has a mother from the entertainment industry. This would explain the plentiful formal training she had as a child. Her great dancing probably came from all the ballet, jazz and traditional Japanese dance she had picked up since then.

Hailing from Miyagi Prefecture, Iwata Karen participated actively in AKB48′s Tohoku Earthquake and was the only kenkyuusei to be interviewed for the “DOCUMENTARY of AKB48 Show must go on 少女たちは伤つきながら、梦を见る”.

Takahashi Juri.

Juri.

63. Takahashi Juri

The most popular girl among the 12th generation members would have to be Takahashi Juri. Aside from her good looks, she does also give off a very positive vibe that attracts fans. AKB48′s theater manager Togasaki once commented that when Juri is able to break off her barrier, she will shine as brightly as Maeda Atsuko. A big comment indeed.

Unfortunately, Takahashi Juri is very weak during MCs. And even though she can be quite a chatter box, she gets tongue tied quite easily. Kojima Haruna also commented that Juri has “dead fish eyes” which was a killer for her. Perhaps once all those problems are solved, Juri would be able to shine like gem.

Tano Yuuka.

Tanochan.

64. Tano Yuuka

Currently the youngest official member of the AKB48 family, Tano Yuuka is an odd choice among the kenkyussei to be promoted into Team 4. Surely in terms of seniority, experience or favoritism every fan could think of another girl who can “better” replace her as an official member. But this doesn’t mean that she is the weakest link of Team 4, for aside from Iwata Karen, Tano Yuuko would have to be the next best singer of the 12th generation.

Other than praising her vocal ability, Yuuka is also pretty adept in performances and MC’s. Only time will tell if she will be able to draw more fans to support her in the long run. Debates aside, some have pointed out that Yuuka bears a striking resemblance to Kuroki Meisa, whose marriage with Akanishi Jin has been making big news recently.

In this second guide on how to get theater tickets for everything 48, we cover Osaka based sister group NMB48. NMB48′s ticketing system bears an uncanny resemblance to AKB48′s current online system so before anything, you’ll want to read up on How to see AKB48 in Japan first. This article will omit most of what has already been mentioned before, instead focusing on the differences when it comes to visiting the NMB48 Theater.

Ticketing Mechanics

Fans will need to register for a separate NMB48 ticketing account which is used to apply for the group’s tickets only. NMB48 offers most of the same ticketing options as AKB48 with the exception of Super Enpou/Super Long Distance and Couple/Family seats.

Instead, NMB48 has a dedicated sitting area and ticket type for Groups (グループ) that can be used by couples, families or friends alike. A minimum of 2 people are required when applying for/collecting Group tickets. Beyond this, there are just some slight (mostly positive) differences between how both sites work which is covered below.

Registration

First up, you will need to visit this site. Key in your email address and submit. You should receive an automated email to the specified address which contains a link to create a new account.

You will need to agree to a list of terms and conditions first, scroll all the way to the bottom and click on the right option (同意する). Next, fill up your details as follows.

User Information.

After clicking through, you will be ask to confirm. Click on the orange button to submit. You should get an email stating that your accounts has been created. The email will generate a password, like AKB48′s this password cannot be changed so you will want to keep a note of it somewhere.

Using the System

With the password, you can now return to the ticketing front page to log into the NMB48 ticketing system.

Personal Ticketing Page.

Once logged in, the NMB48 ticketing page is pretty similar to AKB48′s. The main difference is that the NMB48 system keeps track of all of your past ticket ballots which you can view at any time. You can also select an favorite member to mark as your “Oshimen” here, which is optional in this case.

Also unlike the AKB48 page, the Ticket Application option is always shown (it is hidden when there are no AKB48 shows to apply for). On the downside, you will need to click through one additional step to see the list.

List of available shows.

Unlike the AKB48 ticketing site, a list of performing members for the show is not shown within. Instead, you will need to check the main page for this information prior to logging into the system. When you have decided which stage to apply for go ahead and click the yellow selection button.

Application Page.

Here you will notice the biggest plus point for NMB48 ticketing. Unlike AKB48′s which restricts you to a specific time frame, you are able to apply for all the different ticket types as soon as they are put up (7 days before the show). For NMB48 shows, you are only able to apply for a maximum of 4 persons at the same time.

Unlike AKB48 shows, you will only be able to apply for 1 type of ticket. You cannot apply for both Enpou and General tickets. Even after submitting, you are allowed to modify your application at any time before the deadline but it will replace the existing bid.

Some important things to take note of. The deadline for all applications is 4 days before the show (until midnight). Results for all tickets are sent 3 days before the actual performance. Like with AKB48, NMB48′s own fanclub members get an extra draw the day before.

Should you win a show, you will get an email in your inbox that looks something like the one below. Another plus point for NMB48′s ticketing is that even if you do not get an email, you will be able to log onto the website on the day of the results to check the results as lost applications are reflected in the Ticketing History too. For AKB48 ballots, you are simply left guessing.

Example winning notification.

There is a chance that you will get a Cancel Machi (Cancel Waiting) opportunity in your email instead. Additionally, NMB48 allows you to apply for Cancel Machi from 8 PM on the day before a concert all the way until 8.59 AM on the day itself.

Cancel Machi applied for in this way are also given out at random and you will only be made known by 1 PM on the concert day. Needless to say, this is a pretty unreliable method of getting tickets. But in the case of NMB48, it seems that a lot more people do not turn up for shows (sometimes as many as nearly 50) and thus a lot more Cancel Machi are given out.

YES Namba.

Winning (and collecting) a Ticket

While the Donki building is one of Akihabara’s most prominent landmarks, the NMB48 theater is easily missed. It is located along a side street at Nanbasennichimae where the only indication of the theater is literally a hole in the ground.

View Larger Map

These days, NMB48 should be a lot more known in Osaka but back in February last year, the locals and even some working around the area could not point me in the right direction. That’s because YES Namba building which basement NMB48 rents to hold its theater shows is better known for its Junkudo Bookshop.

My best advice is to look out for the more prominent NGK Building. You’ll find the NMB48 Theater in a hole just opposite. Most of the time if you’re entering from the main entrance to the Nankaitori (南海通) area, you will just need to turn right at the first major junction.

The NMB48 Theater is sealed off to the public at most times. There will be a barrier and security staff next to the staircase leading down to the theater. You will need to flash your winning email to pass. Ticket collection is from 2 hours up until half an hour before the start of a show. Bring along identification (your passport) as well.

I am told by Michael that the NMB48 Theater now holds live streams outside of the theater. It seems viewing is normally restricted to those holding Cancel Machi only. To view, you will need to wait until everyone else has entered the performance hall and then ask the security for permission (and show your Cancel Machi email) to go down to the theater. You will be asked to leave before the hi-touch session.

Seating Arrangements

The hall in which NMB48 performs their stages in is more spacious that AKB48′s. It is also much better equipped. The stage is higher than AKB48′s. However, it holds a smaller number of customers, about 238 as opposed to AKB48′s maximum of 250.

Of this, 100 seats are given to General Tickets, another 90 to NMB48 Fanclub members and the remaining 48 spots are filled up by Enpou, Group, Women and Students. Note, these numbers differ for each show but as a rough guideline, the 6th to 9th rows are reserved for those with Group, Women and Students/Children tickets. Enpou seats are pretty far back and occupy the 10th and 11th rows of the theater (2nd and 3rd last rows).

General Tickets and Mobile Fanclub members get to occupy the first 5 rows. All tickets are numbered and you will be guided into the theater by the staff in order.

Those holding special tickets actually enter the hall first but sitting is limited to the restricted sections. If you arrive late and General entry has already started, you will have to settle for seats at the back.

Inside, all of AKB48′s theater rules apply. Such as not being allowed to stand up during the performance. It’s best to simply behave.

Finally, a note that quite a bit of the stuff mentioned here differs from that mentioned in our own NMB48 Live Impressions post. As some of the ticketing mechanics and sitting arrangements have changed from when theater shows first began last year.

Photos by Melkul.

Since we started writing about AKB48, one of the most asked questions we’ve been getting is how to get tickets for the AKB48 Theater in Akihabara. Unfortunately, the official site has no instructions in English for regular tickets but I’m sure others have answered this question before.

In response to those who have requested for this information though, here it is, part one of a series of guides on how to buy tickets for AKB48, SKE48 and NMB48 theater shows. This guide focuses on the first, applying for tickets for the AKB48 theater in Akihabara, which also happens to be the most difficult of the three due to a rather complicated ticketing system.

First up, for those looking to get tickets to non-theater AKB48 concerts check out this guide instead. Unfortunately, due to health reasons Toshio no longers provides ticket pre-ordering services but the rest of the information there still applies.

Ticketing Mechanics

First up a brief explanation on how the AKB48 Theater ticketing system works. You’ll need to understand this to make sense of the rest of the information. If you already know about this and just want instructions on how to operate their website, skip below.

The AKB48 Ticketing site keeps a schedules a list “stages” that will be performed and the members performing on that given day. These used to be put up up to a month earlier but with the girls busy schedules, they are only now put up a few days in advance now. You can decide which shows you would like to apply for here.

Each show accommodates up to 250 people. Tickets are obtained by random lottery which you will have to apply for at their ticketing page.

For each ticket, there is only a short 1 day window when you can send in your application. Applications for General Tickets open up 2 days before the concert date (starting from midnight until 8 PM Japan time). These bookings are then consolidated and you will be made known of whether you win the tickets one day before the actual concert date (usually at 3 PM).

For example, if the concert is on Friday, applications would be between Wednesday 12 AM (the night of Tuesday) until Wednesday 8 PM when the window closes. You would then be sent an email on Thursday at 3 PM if successful.

No emails will be sent if you do not win. A listing of what shows you are applying from can be seen in your main screen (after logging in) but will simply disappear if unsuccessful.

This bulky system is a testament to when theater applications were sent by mail and sorted through manually. AKB48 may have introduced a spiffy new interface for users but the backend is still remains the same.

Note, the odds of actually winning any seats are horribly not in your favor. There are only 250 places in each show. Previous data provided states that the ratio of seats in the Akihabara theater to hopeful fans is between 1:50 up to 1:200 for special shows.

Registration

Before you can apply for tickets, you will need to register online at the AKB48 ticketing page. Below is a step by step process on how to do that.

To register for an account, send a blank email to regist@akb48.co.jp. You can leave the subject and contents of the email blank. You should receive an email giving you a link to the registration page shortly after that.

Registration Confirmation.

Click the link and you will be brought to a page of sorts asking if you would really like to register. The top option is for those who are part of the mobile fanclub already, the bottom option is for non-fanclub members. Chances are you’ll be choosing the second.

Next up, you’ll be required to enter in your details.

Details.

Once done, you will need to go through a couple of confirmation screens. If everything is fine, you will be sent another email with your AKB48 login password. This automatically generated series of gibberish will forever be used to log into your AKB48 ticketing account. It cannot be changed, so keep a record of it somewhere.

Using the System

Now, you can visit the AKB48 ticketing page and login by entering your username and password at the top right hand corner. Doing so will bring you to your user page that looks something like this.

Main Screen.

When there are shows that can be booked, you will be able to click on the first option here. Doing so will give you a list of currently available shows and ticket types you can currently apply for. In this example there is an Enpou show available.

Available shows.

The details of the show are displayed, in particular the members who will be performing. Click on the link to begin the application process. In the following application screen you will be able to enter the names of up to 9 other people accompanying yourself. You will need to put their names as it appears in their identification documents. You aren’t allowed to have duplicate applications by the other people attending the concert and those caught doing so will be banned from the theater.

Booking Screen.

You will be asked to confirm your details before sending in the application. And just like this, you have successfully submitted your ballot. You will receive an email immediately which is a receipt of your ballot. Do not get too excited yet. Should you actually win a ticket to the show, you will receive an email that looks like this the next day.

Successful ballot.

If there is no notice by 3 PM the next day, it means that you have not won a ticket. It is possible that you may win a “Cancel Machi” (Cancel Waiting) ticket instead as well. Which is not an actual ticket for the show but rather a chance at getting a ticket. See below.

Ticket Types

There are actually various ticket types available at the AKB48 theater. Fans are actually allowed to apply for all the types which they are eligible for. Except for Family, Female and Normal tickets which are all alternate versions of the same thing. You will usually know the results in time to apply for the next bracket.

Apart from throwing money at every temple or shrine you come across, the best way to increase your odds of getting a ticket for an AKB48 show while in Japan is to apply for as many ticket types as possible.

Note, that for all tickets other than family/couple seats, it is possible to apply tickets for 1 to 10 persons at once (6 for Super Enpou). As far as I can tell, applying for tickets as a group does not affect your odds of winning negatively (in fact it is better than applying separately). Also, by applying as a group, you will be able to sit together.

An important thing to take note of is, if for some reason any of the members in your winning group cannot make it, do not cancel your ticket reservation. As long as the person applying is able to make it, the rest will still be admitted normally (the remaining tickets will be given out to those holding Cancel Machi, more on this below).

If all of those applying are unable to make it though, you are required to cancel your tickets in advance of the show. Failing to do so will result in a bad strike.

The basic ticket types to look out for are 遠方 (Enpou), ファミリー・カップル (Family / Couples), 女性・小学生・中学生 (Women / Children) and 一般 (Ippan).

Super Long Distance (Super Enpou) (up to 6 seats) (from 1 month)
Super Long Distance or Super Enpou as most people call it is a new type of arrangement specially for foreign fans. Non-Japanese may apply for Super Enpou up to 1 month in advance of their visit to the theater in hopes of getting a show. Super Enpou tickets are not available through the normal ticketing methods, instead you will need to send them a direct email.

Note, they do not always open up the Super Enpou seats for shows and based on feedback from fans few are lucky enough to actually with Super Enpou tickets too. Applying in advance doesn’t help either, since they often lose your application in the flood of other emails. In fact it may be counter productive.

My best advice for those seeking Super Enpou is to apply for the least popular shows (Team K and formerly Kenkyuusei/SDN48 shows). Also, it may seem strange but the odds of you getting Super Enpou when applying in a large group (at least 3) seems to be higher, possibly since they would recognize the demand then.

The biggest plus for Super Enpou is that you will always be given the 6 front most seats of the left block. For more information on how to apply for Super Enpou tickets, check out the official site here.

Long Distance (Enpou) (up to 15 seats) (5 days)
15 seats in the last middle row of the theater are reserved for Enpou or Long Distance ticketing at each show. Anyone from outside of Tokyo can apply for Enpou, making it one of the most sought after tickets. The odds of winning Enpou are low but you will want to apply for it anyways.

Provided you have selected your place of residence as somewhere other than Tokyo, Enpou tickets are available for ballot exactly 5 days before a given show. If successful, you will be given notice on the next day (4 days before the show). If not, you will still be able to apply for one of the other ticket types when the window opens.

Mobile Fanclub (up to 100 seats) (3 days)
Fans who belong to the Mobile Fanclub are given one extra chance to apply for seats 3 days in advance of the show. If you are reading this, chances are you would not be eligible. But for reference, Mobile Fanclub seats are identical to normal seats and is purely an extra chance for members.

Family & Couples (10 seats) (2 days)
In each show, 10 seats in the 5th middle row are dedicated to family and couple seats. To be eligible, you will need to have at least a male-female couple (Japanese aren’t the most progressive when it comes to some things) and up to 2 children or elders. Should your children be unable to make it after apply, it is still possible to enter without them as long as a couple remains.

Family, Couple, Women and Children tickets all replace the standard tickets as they have to be applied for on the same day instead of General tickets. The odds of you winning aren’t that much different from normal tickets due to the scarcity of seats and there is no clear way of calculating the probability. Such seats are recommended for when you require special seating arrangements.

Women & Children (10 seats) (2 days)
Another 10 seats on the 6th middle row are given out to a combination of female patrons, as well as grade and middle school children (6 to 15 years old). This is another alternative to general tickets.

General (all the remaining seats) (2 days)
What remains of the theater’s 250 seats sans all of the above are given out to the rest of the public. This is your last chance to get tickets when both Super Enpou and Enpou fails. Entry into the theater for General tickets are explained below.

Due to the fact that you are only notified of General tickets 1 day before the show it is nearly impossible to plan a trip to Japan around General Tickets. In fact, with number of people applying for AKB48 theater shows, it is never a wise chance to depend on winning a ticket at all.

Akihabara's Donki (Don Quijote) Building.

Cancel Waiting

This special ticket type is kept separate as it is not actually applied for. Instead, when you apply for a normal show ticket there is a chance that you will receive an email stating that you have won a “Cancel Machi” instead.

A different number of Cancel Machi emails are given out at each show. When you win a Cancel Machi, what you actually win is a spot on the waiting list to get a ticket should someone else not show up.

Sometimes people have conflicting schedules or applying from outside of Tokyo to try their luck only for their employers to deny them leave. But whatever the reason, there is always a certain number of people who will not be able to turn up for each show so a Cancel Machi is not a completely lost cause.

Thankfully, each Cancel Machi comes with a stated number too. In the case of Cancel Machi, this number is your position in line to get a ticket. If this is a small number like 10 or less, there is actually a pretty good chance that you will be able to snag a ticket at the last minute. It is up to you if you would like to try your luck.

Unlike regular tickets, it is not necessary to cancel Cancel Machi if you do not wish to turn up. But if you do decide to, you will need to come to the Akihabara theater half an hour before the show during the Bingo draw to get any unsold tickets.

The Cancel Machi also serves as a special ticket in certain cases. While fans who have not won any tickets are usually allowed to view the performance from a life stream just outside the theater’s doors, during very popular or special shows the 8th floor of the building is completely sealed off from the public. When this happens a greater number of Cancel Machi are given out to act as “tickets” to visit the floor and see the show from outside.

Winning (and collecting) a Ticket

Should you win a ticket, you will be sent an email that looks like this 1 to 4 days in advance of the show.　You will need to print it out or have it on your cellphone to flash when collecting your tickets at the AKB48 theater counter.

You will need to visit the theater between 2 to 1.5 hours in advance of the show to collect your tickets. For certain shows, you may be required to present your email to the security staff guarding the escalator downstairs to let you up into the theater too.

When collecting the tickets, you will need to bring along identification (your passport) bearing the same names you have entered into the ticket applications and cash for the tickets. If everything checks out, they will slap on a Gigaband, a kind of security wristband on you, to prevent tickets from being resold. Be careful not to take this off/damage it between the collecting the tickets up until after the show or they might not let you into the theater later.

Seating Arrangements

During entry those holding any special tickets (Super Enpou, Enpou e.t.c) will be escorted into the theater first. For everyone else holding General tickets, you would have gotten a ticket number in the email sent to you.

The ticket number does not represent your actual sitting position. Instead, it represent the block in which you will be entering as. Fans will begin queuing up outside the theater entrance in their respective blocks in advance of the show. There are markings on the theater floor indicating where you should stand.

About half hour before the show begins, the staff will hold a ballot via bingo to determine in which random order the blocks will be entering the theater. You are free to choose from any of the remaining seats when you enter except those marked for staff. An important thing to take note of, switching seats at any point is strictly prohibited as it may be considered a sign of some sort of seat selling. You are able to leave the theater, but only after everyone else has entered.

The AKB48 Theater has become quite well known for their “pillars of death”, a set of two wide foundation pillars that split the stage up into 3 parts. The first two rows in the center block are the best and most sought after seats. Due to how small the Akihabara theater is, those on the first row are less than 3 meters away from the stage!

The first row at either of the side blocks are fine too but avoid sitting anywhere near the pillars at all costs in any of the first 4 rows. Pillar-side seats on rows 2-4 are usually the last to fill up. The pillars are really a lot more disruptive than one would think, you will be completely blocked from seeing the other 2/3rds of the stage. Also, the camera crew film from in front of the pillars so those to the side are not spared.

The only time you will want to sit here is if you are absolutely sure a favorite member spends most of her time hugging the side stage, however the choreography of newer performances have the side members switching sides about halfway into the stage. Also, it makes for a terrible experience if this is your first time seeing AKB48 live.

If you cannot get into the first two rows, the next best choice is actually to get the first standing places. There are only 7 closely packed rows of seats in the theater and those on seats will have to remain seated throughout the show so those standing will get a surprisingly clear overview. Also, you can generally be a lot more excited without getting kicked out.

Behaving

Anyone who has ever seen any AKB48 Live On Demand (LOD) video can attest to how boring the audience in attendance look. This is hardly their fault though with the AKB48 Theater in Japan enforcing a ridiculous list of restrictions. Rub the staff there the wrong way and you’ll find how easy it is to win yourself a lifetime ban.

Instead of providing a list of offenses, the best advice is to simply, behave. If you’ve been to any AKB48 concerts outside of Japan, know that pretty much everyone who has attended such a concert would already be banned by theater standards (myself included, if only for using UO Light Sticks). The theater staff can be especially accommodating once they learn that you are a foreigner but it is best not to take advantage of their courtesy. Stay in line, follow the example of the other fans and avoid causing any trouble and you should be safe.

Best of luck to your applications and to those who have successfully won tickets to the theater, congratulations and have fun.

On the last weekend of February, the Japan Pop Culture Festival launched in Jakarta, Indonesia. An event held to both commemorate and grow Japanese-Indonesian cooperation, the highlight of the festival was AKB48′s attendance. It was to be the first time the pop idols were visiting Jakarta to stage a performance and sister-group JKT48 was also roped into the concert, making it also the first time JKT48 had performed to as big a live audience in their home Indonesia.

Flower stand purchased by the Indonesian fans.

Not long after arriving in Jakarta, we headed to Balai Kartini where the concert was to be held. Of course, we expected to see people, but we didn’t expect to see people. The lines were split up for the different seating sections, with the result being 4 separate queues. As we were in the block to be seated at the back, we queued in the car-park, along with many of the other fans. The amount of people coupled with the Jakarta heat made for unpleasant queuing, so imagine the surprise when I discovered that some had been there as early as 10 in the morning.

The view from our place in the queue.

While the queuing environment was not very optimal, the people in the queue were. We expected the queue to be more rowdy and unorganized (considering the ones we experienced in Singapore) but the atmosphere was generally calm and everyone followed the instructions of the security guards.

The queue extended at least another 25 metres from the bend.

From looking at the crowd present in the queues, many were first timers to an idol concert. That didn’t turn out to be an issue, however. Clad in coordinated t-shirts (presumably made and distributed by fan-groups), there were people distributing drinks, lightsticks and even giving out free food. Besides the Indonesians, there were also multitudes of Japanese schoolgirls of various ages. No doubt, the daughters of the Japanese stationed in Jakarta.

Fans crowding around for lightsticks.

A member of the AKB48 Indonesia Forum giving out snacks.

The stipulated entry time of 4:30pm was missed by about 30 minutes, due to unforeseen delays. Photography was not permitted, as is the norm for AKB48 performances but what perplexed me was that drinks were not permitted in as well.

While this is a rule not uncommon during other concerts, that is usually because the organizers have their own concession stands that they want visitors to purchase from. This however, was not the case at the Balai Kartini venue. What this meant was early entrants to the concerts had nothing to drink for nearly 5 hours; full bottles of water were forced to be left on the tables.

Our tickets were for Block B, placing us at the very back of the venue.

We had already heard that the tickets were for a less than optimal view, but we had no idea of the extent till we stepped into the hall. Needless to say, it was gigantic. The girls were barely visible from where we stood, and all we could see were the screens put up in the middle of the venue. While there were some gripes about the view, it’s not really that different from what you would find from attending a normal arena concert.

The view from our block; the stage is in the middle of the two screens at the sides.

Many attendees in Block B were relegated to watching the screen. A common gripe was that only the popular members (Takahashi Minami had the loudest cheers whenever she appeared on screen) were ever given any camera time.

In front of us, Block A, had many rows of seats that were simply left empty. A look at the back showed a full-house Block B; which resulted in a river of silence between the front and back of the hall.

Many songs performed today were also short versions, including the unit songs like Bird and even some of the singles. I don’t quite know why this was the case, as there was certainly no occasion to rush.

The concert wasn’t all bad, however. The AKB48 girls spoke Indonesian, to raucous laughter from many in our section due to the bad enunciation. Nevertheless, the girls all gained a number of fans (Sashihara’s ‘Memancing’ is now a meme amongst fans who attended) as the local fans appreciated the effort.

Surprisingly, the best effort (in my opinion) were from Team K’s Nito Moeno, who spoke with clear enunciation and barely any accent. It was easy to tell that she practiced for it. The JKT48 girls did not disappoint as well. They performed a few songs, including an Indonesian version of fan favourite Kimi no Koto ga Suki Dakara.

A group of fans from the Kaskus forums being interviewed.

The concert ended with a joint performance of Aitakatta and Heavy Rotation by both JKT48 and AKB48 on stage. A poignant end, especially considering the aim of the event, which was to foster Japan-Indonesia relations. Having both the Indonesian and Japanese girls on stage together was a nice image to close it off with.

A fan showing off the fan-made shirt many were wearing for the live.

Fans filing out of the hall.

As the visitors shuffled out slowly, many were stopping to take photos, commemorating the first time their homegrown girls from Jakarta shared the stage with the top idols from Japan. It was then that it finally hit most of us just how full of potential JKT48 was. One only needed to hear the screams and shouts.

While Akihabara will probably be the first place in Japan that springs to mind when talking about all things geeky, Nakano Broadway is as important a landmark to the dedicated otaku. Located in the western outskirts of the city, Nakano is home to Tokyo’s true, less publicized Otaku Heaven.

Getting to Nakano

Nakano can be found three stops away from Shinjuku on the JR Sobu line. The trip is conveniently covered by the JR Tokunai Pass. At Nakano, exit the station from the North Exit (turn right when you leave the gantry) and you’ll see the Nakano Shopping Mall in broad daylight. Follow this opening air shopping arcade which will lead you straight to Nakano Broadway.

View Larger Map

Note: Most of the shops at Nakano Broadway are pretty against photo-taking and unless it is obvious you are a foreigner some even get pretty unfriendly about it, thus the scarcity of pictures.

At Nakano Broadway

Due to their widespread portrayal in media or perhaps through their own perpetruation of the stereotype, otaku tend to be pictured as bespectacled anime, manga and figure collectors. But in its original form, the word otaku seems to carry the meaning of enthusiasts and otaku interests cover a far wider spectrum in practice. This is especially true in Japan, where people are provided the content necessary to become otaku for all sorts of interests, like train, vintage camera or Disney otaku. While Akihabara may satisfy the need for the stereotypical otaku, Nakano does the same for a wider audience. If someone is collecting it, you’ll find it in Nakano Broadway.

Nakano.

Nakano Broadway is most famous as a market of sorts for otaku to peddle items from their personal collections. This is mostly through capsule box stores that provide the chance to rent cases for the otaku to display their wares (more on this later) but in recent times Nakano Broadway seems to have been overtaken mostly by a certain chain called Mandarake and to a lesser extent TRIO.

Mandarake
Starting as a used manga shop in 1987, Mandarake has now expanded to own a total of 23 stores inside the 3 floors of Nakano Broadway alone. There are another 4 shops around Tokyo and more spread around the rest of Japan. Mandarake even calls themselves the “Rulers of Time” now.

Each of the Mandarake shops in Nakano specialize in a different sub-genre of second hand otaku products. Many of these shops still sell items related to anime or manga, such as one shop specializing in soundtracks or another solely dedicated to boys love and otome products. But with 23 shops, most of the other imaginable obsessions are covered. There are Mandarake’s for classic video games, vintage toys, cosplay and card games among others.

Patrons can trade in their old goods at the Mandarake Buy Back Stand on the 3rd floor. It’s a shop space larger than most stores in Nakano that is constantly filled with people pawning old toys and comics for money to purchase newer attractions. A somewhat depressing sight. However Mandarake is well known for offering reasonable prices for old items and the shop advertises a transparent list of items that they purchase and the prices popular items would fetch.

One of the Mandarake-owned Shops.

TRIO
Next on the list is TRIO. Though it started as a second hand poster and magazine shop TRIO has evolved into the idol equivalent of Mandarake. Though not nearly as large a presence as Mandarake, TRIO carries a rather extensive collection of second hand idol goods spread over three shops in Nakano.

You’ll find the first TRIO branch on the third floor. This shop is dedicated entirely to male idols such as those from Johnny’s Entertainment. The first TRIO that you will likely run into though is TRIO 2, the largest branch.

Located just beside the main escalator into Nakano Broadway and along the same corridor as TRIO, TRIO 2 carries all of their magazines, photobooks, as well as movie and idol related posters. TRIO 2 also has an entire section dedicated to AKB48 goods and a rather large collection of collectible photos. TRIO 2 used to have the most affordable and popular place to get these photos and customers would come early each day to see what new items were being put up. Unfortunately, the prices aren’t as reasonable anymore and they display most of the stock at the new branch at Akiba Culture Zone now.

You’ll have to take the stairs down one floor for the third TRIO 3, which contains what little Hello! Project, Idoling!!! and SUPER☆GiRLS merchandise they have. About half of the shop holds the remainder of their Johnny’s goods.

Old toys for sale.

Capsule Boxes
Until recently, the biggest draw for Nakano Broadway comes from having more capsule box shops than anywhere else. One such example is Cube Style. For about 3000 yen a month, one can rent a display case here to put whatever items you would like to sell. The shop will then help take care of any money transfers and you can come back any time to collect your earnings or add and replace the items sold inside the rented case.

Capsule shops are rather popular at Nakano, since it allows one to eliminate the middle man, as unlike in Singapore the shops do not take a commission off your sales. The high traffic of otaku coming to Nakano Broadway for the explicit purpose of purchasing such goods also helps. The capsule boxes at Nakano are always fully booked.

The recent boom in demand for capsule boxes (largely due to the market for AKB48 photos) has prompted many other capsule shops to spawn in Akihabara too. Unfortunately, the supply now exceeds the demand and many of the boxes at the newer shops now remain empty. Also, if you’re looking for a bargain for AKB48 photos, you’ll be disappointed. Read more about there here.

Figure or toy collectors will benefit the most from capsule boxes. As the prices for those are already transparent, second half figures will almost always sell for less their original price (unless it is particularly rare, or the seller especially delusional). If you don’t mind getting your toys second hand, do spend some time looking around the shops here. I personally recommend checking out BOW WOW at the far corner on the second floor, as I have consistently managed to chance upon good finds there.

Other Shops
Many of the small shops around Nakano Broadway cover all manner of other interests, there are shops selling old enka records, ball jointed dolls, yo-yos, stamps, vintage books and expensive sound equipment and many more niched products. You can find a listing of shops at the Official Nakano Broadway website’s Floor Map.