AKB48 is a Japanese idol group formed in 2005 with the concept of "idols you can meet" in mind.While their home base is the AKB48 theatre in Akihabara, Tokyo, having such a large number of members in one group allows them to hold performances and fan meetings every day across Japan, often simultaneously.AKB48 has expanded through Japan and the world, spawning five Japanese sister groups based in different cities, three rival groups, and several overseas sister groups in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan, China, and Malaysia.This carrd is designed to help you get started with AKB48 and contains information on their members, music, performances, other content and history in association with 48directory.Click on the links above to navigate to each section!
Please note that this carrd is currently under construction.

Members

The number 48 does not stand for the number of members in the group!
There are currently 48 members in AKB48 and hundreds more in their various sister groups.A member’s charm is often in their approachability and relatability; they are the girl next door or your little sister or daughter. They aren't perfect, but you can be there to watch them grow from debut into confident performers.No, you don't have to learn every single member, but it is possible!New members join AKB48 after auditions as part of a new generation either chosen by management or by the members themselves (draft generations). These members spend a certain amount of time as a trainee or kenkyuusei before being promoted to a team. Currently AKB48 has 13 kenkyuusei members.Members can choose to graduate at any time and this is typically accompanied by a farewell performance at the theatre. More popular members may also have a graduation ceremony at a concert. Being part of AKB48 is often seen more as a stepping stone into the entertainment industry rather than a final destination in itself. While graduation can be sad, it is also something to be congratulated, as hopefully the idol in question is moving towards their next dream.

Iwatate Saho

(Sahhoo)

  • Born October 4th, 1994.

  • Joined as part of 13th gen in 2011.

  • Lightstick colours are red, white, and blue.

  • The highest election ranker (#22) to never have been selected for senbatsu.

  • Writes a blog about sampling ekiben (bento boxes sold at train stations) from all over Japan.

  • Studied French and has a DELF A2 Diploma.

  • Centre for Lion wo nerae, and also appears in Love shugyou, Sugar night, Neta furi, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide, Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Higurashi no koi, Itoshisa no defense, Himawari, and Kusaimono darake.

Fukuoka Seina

(Seichan)

  • Born August 1st, 2000.

  • Joined as part of 15th gen in 2013.

  • Lightstick colours are blue and white.

  • Loves cooking and was the captain for the dessert team in the AKB48 Cooking Senbatsu Competition.

  • Previously wanted to become a voice actor, but after appearing on stage many times she wants to continue live action acting.

  • Makes personalised earrings for her members.

  • Centre for Osaekirenai shoudou, Yume e no process, and Neta furi.

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide, Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Higurashi no koi, Himawari, and Taboo no iro.

Kuranoo Narumi

(Naru)

Hashimoto Haruna

(Harupyon)

  • Born May 25th, 2000.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2014.

  • Lightstick colours are pink and white.

  • Bad with sports, scary things like bugs and ghosts, and rain.

  • Loves rabbits so much that rabbit ears feature in her introduction catchphrase and signature.

  • The first cd she bought herself was by AKB48.

  • Appears in Aisatsu kara hajimeyou, Yume e no route, Hoshizora wo kimi ni, Shuuden no yoru, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide and Himawari.

Suzuki Kurumi

(Kururun)

Yamauchi Mizuki

(Zukky)

  • Born September 20th, 2001.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colours are pink and yellow.

  • Was a child actor who performed in musicals including The Lion King (as young Nala) and learnt tap dance and ballet.

  • Wants to become a wizard by the age of 30.

  • Is aiming for #1 if there's ever another senbatsu election.

  • Daughter of a longtime AKB48 fan who became a fan herself in 2011.

  • Centre for Neko allergy, Monica yoake da, Shitsuren arigatou, and also appears in Idol nanka janakattara, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Himawari, and Taboo no iro.

Sakagawa Hiyuka

(Hiyuka)

  • Born October 7th, 2006.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2019.

  • Lightstick colours are red and orange.

  • Hobbies are painting, drawing, and cooking.

  • In her opinion her strength is being able to talk to anyone, but her weakness is that physically she’s very weak.

  • Her charm points are her very curly eyelashes.

  • Travels to 4 hours from Fukui to Tokyo for AKB48 work.

  • Member of the subunit UNLAME.

  • Also appears in Shittakaburi no sono shita ni and Hoshi ga kienai uchi ni.

  • Current theatre unit is Hitori omoi.

Hashimoto Eriko

(Erichan)

Masai Mayuu

(Mayuuchan)

Arai Sae

(Saechan)

Narita Kohina

(Kohi)

Okumoto Kairi

(Kairi)

Murayama Yuiri

(Yuirii)

Mukaichi Mion

(Miion)

Shitao Miu

(Miu)

  • Born April 3rd, 2001.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2014.

  • Lightstick colours are white and blue.

  • Confident in her dancing and frog imitating skills.

  • Her mum and grandma sent in an audition application on her behalf as she wasn’t initially interested in being an idol.



  • Appears in Sukida sukida sukida, Jitabata, Nemohamo rumor, Moto kare desu, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Himawari, and Taboo no iro.

Chiba Erii

(Erii)

  • Born October 27th, 2003.

  • Joined as part of draft 2nd gen in 2015.

  • Lightstick colours are yellow and blue.

  • Her childhood dreams were to work in a cake shop, to work in an ice cream shop, and to become a member of AKB48.

  • Known for loving teeth and for having smelly feet.

  • Considered by staff to have shown the most growth out of all of the members.

  • Centre for Hisashiburi no lip gloss, and appears in Wakariyasukute gomen, Omoide my friend, Colorcon wink, and more!

  • Current theatre unit is Make otoko.

Taguchi Manaka

(Manaka)

  • Born December 12th, 2003.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colours are red and red.

  • Her parents were opposed to her auditioning, but she secretly applied for NGT48, HKT48 and finally AKB48.

  • 16th gen’s unofficial leader and said to be quite scary at times.

  • Known for having a poisonous tongue.

  • Appears in Yume e no process, Seishun da capo, Shittakaburi no sono shita ni, Colorcon wink, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide, Higurashi no koi, Itoshisa no defense, Himawari, and Hitori omoi.

Yamane Suzuha

(Zunchan)

  • Born August 11th, 2000.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colours are pink and green.

  • Auditioned for Team 8, NMB48, and the 2nd Draft Kaigi before joining 16th gen.

  • Promotes AKB48 by labelling all the members in group photos after every TV performance on her twitter account.

  • Apparently bad at all her hobbies (including drawing and playing guitar).

  • Diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2021.

  • Will transfer to KLP48 on June 1st, 2024.

  • Appears in Private summer, "Suki" no tane, Seishun da capo, Sugar night, and more!

  • Current theatre unit is Make otoko.

Ota Yuki

(Yukitan)

  • Born March 27th, 2004.

  • Joined as part of 17th gen in 2022.

  • Lightstick colours are light blue and purple.

  • She can play alto, baritone, and soprano saxophone, and has a good sense of musical pitch.

  • Her charm point is her soft ears which she can move by themselves.

  • She can't live without carbonated lemon drinks.

  • Her special skill is eating a lot of food very quickly.

  • Appears in Shittakaburi no sono shita ni, Do the dance!, Hoshi ga kienai uchi ni, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Haru ga kuru made, Faint, and Stoic na bigaku.

Hatakeyama Nozomi

(Nonchan)

Mizushima Miyuu

(Mizumin)

Kudo Kasumi

(Kasumin)

Yagi Azuki

(Azu)

Kawamura Yui

(Kawayui)

Komiyama Haruka

(Komiharu)

Oguri Yui

(yuiyui)

Takahashi Ayane

(Ayane)

  • Born December 30th, 1997.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2014.

  • Lightstick colours are light blue and red.

  • The animal she described herself as being most like is an axolotl.

  • Likes animals in general, including orcas, has a pet turtle named Kame-chan, and wants to raise pet snakes and cliones.

  • Wants to become a cute and long-lasting grandmother someday.

  • Appears in Aisatsu kara hajimeyou, Yume e no route, Hoshizora wo kimi ni, Neko allergy, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide, Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Itoshisa no defense, Himawari, and Make otoko.

Kurosu Haruka

(Haachan)

  • Born February 28th, 2001.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colour is yellow.

  • Known for her academic skills, she has an elementary school teaching licence and appeared many times on a radio show about studying for school and university exams.

  • Was so obsessed with Asai Nanami's 2017 birthday t-shirt that her mother had to hide it to stop her wearing it.

  • Will transfer to KLP48 on June 1st, 2024.

  • Has somehow not appeared in a music video yet, so see her in a LOD!

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide, Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Itoshisa no defense, Himawari, and Taboo no iro.

Nagatomo Ayami

(Ayamin)

  • Born November 2nd, 2000.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colours are yellow and light blue.

  • Good at remembering details about fans at handshake events.

  • Quick to memorise choreography and was an under for many different positions as a kenkyuusei.

  • Enjoys watching sport and cooking.

  • Beloved by both juniors and seniors and has a nurturing vibe.

  • Appears in Shittakaburi no sono shita ni and Colorcon wink.

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide, Itoshisa no defense, Himawari, and Chikatetsu no teddy boy.

Omori Maho

(Mahopyon)

  • Born December 5th, 1999.

  • Joined as part of draft 3rd gen in 2018.

  • Lightstick colours are light pink and white.

  • Big idol fan before joining AKB48 who went to a lot of AKB48 events and was a fan of Komiyama Haruka and Watanabe Miyuki.

  • Loves anime and manga, to the point where she spends her entire income and has taken out loans to buy more merchandise.

  • Her anime goods cover her entire bedroom, including her bed.

  • Her special skill is sleeping a lot after eating.

  • Centre for Omoide my friend, and also appears in Hisashiburi no lip gloss, Idol nanka janakattara, Colorcon wink, and more!

  • Current theatre unit is Kusaimono darake.

Kohama Kokone

(Kokko)

  • Born February 12th, 2007.

  • Joined as part of 17th gen in 2022.

  • Lightstick colours are yellow and light blue.

  • Notoriously bad at smiling.

  • She auditioned for Sashihara Rino's produced group, ≒JOY and made it to the SHOWROOM round of auditions, but did not make the final selection.

  • Her special skill is monkey-face monomane (impression), but she doesn't like to do it and would like to develop a new skill.

  • Loves the taste of mouthwash and toothpaste.

  • Appears in Do the dance!, Hoshi ga kienai uchi ni, and more!

  • Current theatre units are 7ji 12fun no hatsukoi, Kikyou, and Bye bye bye.

Hirata Yuki

(Yuki)

Yamazaki Sora

(Sorara)

Kubo Hinano

(Chanhina)

Yamaguchi Yui

(Yuichi)

Shiratori Sari

(Sarii)

Taniguchi Megu

(Omegu)

Gyoten Yurina

(Yurina)

  • Born March 14th, 1999.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2014.

  • Lightstick colours are pink and pink.

  • Wants to try doing everything in the entertainment industry, from being an idol to stage and voice acting to modelling.

  • Has a regional accent and found it very challenging to adjust to speaking in standard dialect.

  • A sweet tooth who considers herself the best at eating chocolate in AKB48.

  • Will transfer to KLP48 on June 1st, 2024.

  • Appears in Shishunki no adrenaline, Neko allergy, Ohayou kara hajimaru sekai, Jitabata, and more!

  • Current theatre unit is Kusaimono darake.

Nagano Serika

(SERIKA)

  • Born March 27th, 2001.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2014.

  • Lightstick colours are white, white, and white.

  • Collects One Piece figurines.

  • Relieves her stress by eating.

  • Produced her own original character Makaro~n-chan complete with merchandise.

  • Can ride a unicycle, but not a bicycle.

  • Appears in Kegarete iru shinjitsu, Shishunki no adrenaline, Tsuki no kamen, Yume e no process, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Itoshisa no defense, and Hitori omoi.

Sato Minami

(Satomina)

  • Born August 3rd, 2003.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colours are pink and orange.

  • Big fan of Love Live! and of anime in general. Says all of her actions are related to anime and wants to become a voice actor.

  • In training to become a magical girl.

  • Has promised to become more famous after graduation than she is now.

  • Will graduate in June 2024.

  • Appears in Wakariyasukute gomen, Yume e no process, Shittakaburi no sono shita ni, and Hoshi ga kienai uchi ni.

  • Current theatre units are Idol nante yobanaide and Himawari.

Muto Orin

(Orin)

  • Born July 22nd, 2000.

  • Joined as part of 16th gen in 2016.

  • Lightstick colours are light blue and dark pink.

  • Her name is derived from ‘Olympic’ because she was born in the year of the Sydney Olympics.

  • Special skill is full contact karate.

  • Is currently in graduate school after studying marketing at Seijo University.

  • Younger sister of former AKB48 member Muto Tomu.

  • Appears in Jibuntachi no koi ni kagitte and Shuuden no yoru.

  • Current theatre units are Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Itoshisa no defense, and Make otoko.

Tokunaga Remi

(Remitan)

  • Born October 1st, 2006.

  • Joined as part of Team 8 in 2019.

  • Lightstick colours are blue and pink.

  • Hobbies are playing catch, and doing her hair and make-up.

  • Was a cheerleader and softball player growing up.

  • Relieves her stress by sleeping.

  • In her opinion, her strength is that she appreciates time, but her weakness is that she’s impatient.

  • Centre for the unit AKB48 SURREAL as virtual member, SURRY.

  • Also appears in Shittakaburi no sono shita ni and Hoshi ga kienai uchi ni.

  • Current theatre unit is Chikatetsu no teddy boy.

Sato Airi

(Aichan)

  • Born June 24th, 2004.

  • Joined as part of 17th gen in 2022.

  • Lightstick colours are red and white.

  • Ace of 17th generation, being the first to appear on a music show and enter senbatsu.

  • Her charm point is her large mouth and her special skill is cheerleading.

  • Younger sister of former AKB48 member Sato Kiara, but she did not mention this during her audition as she wanted to be accepted on her own merit.

  • Center for Do the dance!, and also appears in Doushitemo kimi ga suki da, Idol nanka janakattara, Colorcon wink, and more!

  • Current theatre units are Boku to Juliet to jet coaster, Himawari, Kusaimono darake, 7ji 12fun no hatsukoi, Faint, and Zenryoku hankouki.

Hotei Moka

(Hotechan)

Akiyama Yuna

(Yunachan)

Sako Yumemi

(Yumemin)

Ito Momoka

(Itomomo)

Hanada Mei

(Meimei)

Music

There are three major types of AKB48 songs within their discography.Stage songs come from original theatre set lists. These original set lists were produced mostly in the early days when the theatre was the main focus of the group. In 2013, the studio versions of these songs were finally released.Two indie and 60 major label singles have been released. Several versions of each single are produced, each with different b-sides or coupling songs. Up until 2009, singles and coupling songs were mostly taken from stage set lists that were already being performed.There are also nine studio albums containing recent singles, coupling songs and new songs. There are also three Team Surprise stages, which are collections of singles released for Pachinko ad campaigns.Members chosen for each song can be sourced from AKB48 or from any of their sister groups. Those chosen to be part of the single a-side are known as senbatsu. For the most part senbatsu are chosen by management. However, for some singles, senbatsu has been chosen by fan elections (sousenkyo) and by paper-scissors-rock tournaments (janken). Since 2021, releases have all been AKB48 only without sister group involvement.You can find every AKB48 music video along with information on which members are participating at 48Directory.To get you started, I've made three Spotify playlists with different themes!

Cool and fierce songs to inspire a battle or an adventure into the mysterious woods of another world.Songs for a party. First raucously bounce off all the walls and then later maybe things will get a bit sexy?Classic idol songs filled with love, longing and the wind blowing through your hair as you run down that hillside.

Performances

Theatre

The theatre is my favourite part of AKB48 (this may be because I stan all the flop members who don’t get as much variety or concert time).You can check out the theatre schedule and line-ups at AKB48’s website, at akiha, or using my line-up spreadsheets (for recent stages).These spreadsheets have information on who is performing what stage, and can let you easily find every date a particular member has performed. There are links to watch performances, and the folder also contains colour-coded lyrics.If you can't decide on a stage to watch, I would recommend the 5000th theatre performance, a revival of my favourite stage "Pajama Drive" with some of my favourite girls. 48Directory also has many other setlist options to watch!Theatre LODs (live on demand performances) at DMM.com for a subscription fee. You can subscribe to DMM using a VPN and paypal using these instructions.Alternatively, links to stream and download LODs can be found on my spreadsheets. Because.. you know.. it can get expensive.

Concerts

Concerts are a great way to introduce yourself to AKB48 performances (although they do tend to focus more on popular members and include sister group members).You can download and stream concerts from places like 48directory and aidoru-online.If you're not sure where to start and want to focus on the current AKB48 (i.e. avoid as many graduates as possible), I suggest starting with their 2021 solo concert.If you don't care about all of the members having graduated already and want to see AKB48 at its "peak", then try 2012 Tokyo Dome or 2013 Group Rinji Soukai.A list of all of their concerts can be found on Stage48.If you're happy to pay for content you can also access almost all of AKB48's concerts on their very own streaming site eizo, which costs 1078 yen a month. I'm able to access this without using a vpn and with my own debit card, but I can't promise that this is the case for every country.

Other things to watch

Documentaries

AKB48 has several documentaries that are a great place to start getting to know about the system and history of the group. You can stream them with English subtitles here.

Dramas

AKB48 have produced several live action dramas featuring the members in the main cast. Check them out at here. You can also find links to their anime and manga series on the 48directory home page.

Variety

A great place to start for AKB variety is AKBingo!. You can stream it here. If there are dead links, you can find raw episodes and soft subs here.However, AKBingo ended in 2019 and you might be more interested in seeing content from newer members. In that case, try episodes of AKBingo! Neo and AKB48 no Daigyakushuu found on 48directory's variety page.And here's a masterlist of other subbed content for AKB48 and their sister groups.Please be aware that some of these variety shows do not stand up to modern standards of being a decent person and you will at times encounter sexism, racism, transphobia, homophobia, fatphobia, sexual harassment, and sexualisation of minors, particularly in older episodes. The subbing team for AKBingo! up to episode 65 also makes some horrible comments about the members and some guests that you may wish to avoid.