Tag - akb48

 
 

AKB48

Haruna Kojima in Tokyo in April 2017 following her last show as a member of the AKB48 pop group
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Oct 29, 2024
Man held for allegedly assaulting Japanese celebrity Haruna Kojima
The man is suspected of hugging and pushing the former member of pop group AKB48.
Japan Times
LIFE / Digital / Japan Pulse
Feb 11, 2023
Minami Minegishi: AKB48’s tear-stained pioneer
One J-pop idol’s shocking show of penance in 2013 foreshadowed the price of fame on the internet.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music
Aug 5, 2021
Former AKB48 idol Miyu Takeuchi takes her musical career into her own hands
Singer Miyu Takeuchi got her start just shy of the spotlight in Japan's idol-pop group, but has taken her creative output into her own hands as a solo performer on YouTube.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 22, 2020
‘33⅓ Japan’ has nerdy but accessible tales of albums and artists
With the '33u2153 Japan' series, music aficionados bring classic Japanese albums and artists to life in nerdy, but accessible, prose.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Stage
Feb 13, 2020
Japanese students take idol worship to a whole new level
Take a look at the world of Unidol, in which teams of Japanese university students emulate the moves of pop groups in a battle to be the greatest idol copy dance club.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 18, 2020
Japan's news outlets take one step backward before moving forward
Before going forward into the new year, an extra edition of Shukan Shincho (with a Jan. 27 publication date) flashed back in time to track down author Ben Goto. Now a spry 89 years old, Goto achieved instant fame with a 1973 publication titled "Great Prophecies of Nostradamus." His book initially sold...
CULTURE / Music
Nov 15, 2019
Da Pump, Arashi, Twice among lineup for 70th 'Kohaku Uta Gassen' music show
Alongside perennials will be acts making their first appearances on the music battle show, such as Foorin, King Gnu and Kis-My-Ft2
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / 2010S: DECADE IN REVIEW
Nov 15, 2019
Through scandal and stellar sales, AKB48 dominated the past decade in Japan
Do you know the songs? 'Heavy Rotation,' 'Gingham Check,' 'Ponytail to Shushu' .... Even if you don't, you're likely aware of the sales model that AKB48 has exported to the rest of the world.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 26, 2019
Kiyoshi Kurosawa: Filming and acting outside your comfort zone
When Japanese directors of a certain age and status film abroad, they usually head for developed countries, not developing ones. Although, to be fair, their choice of foreign locales often comes down to box-office calculations. Japanese audiences enjoy seeing famous European sites on the screen (and...
Japan Times
CULTURE / Film
Jun 12, 2019
'To the Ends of the Earth': Tough times for travel reporting
Kiyoshi Kurosawa and Atsuko Maeda make an odd couple: The former is best known abroad as a master of horror, starting with his 1997 international breakthrough "Cure," while the latter was a star of idol-pop group AKB48, but has since gone on to a thriving acting career.
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
May 30, 2019
Rino Sashihara: Can one 'idol' beat the system?
An idol group such as AKB48 is designed for members to be easily replaced. The performers existing in these environments constantly get shuffled around and eventually "graduate" — a term used for when they leave. Fans might become attached to a specific member and follow them on their musical journey....
Japan Times
CULTURE / Music / Sound Off
Apr 4, 2019
A look at some of Japan's lesser-known idol-pop players
I made my first trip to Japan just over 10 years ago to see concerts by Morning Musume and AKB48, two of the country's biggest idol-pop groups this century. What struck me most about the experience was the camaraderie among the fans, it was a closeness that was unlike anything I'd seen with Western pop...
JAPAN / History / Defining the Heisei Era
Nov 24, 2018
Defining the Heisei Era: Examining the rise of otaku culture
With the number of children shrinking, popular entertainment naturally began targeting the otaku population that didn't hesitate to open their wallets for material many considered juvenile.

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Yasuyuki Yoshida stirs a brew in a fermentation tank at his brewery in Hakusan.
The quake that shook Noto's sake brewing tradition