AKB48

AKB48 is an all-female Japanese theater/idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, who is also the husband of Mamiko Takai, a former member of the 1980s all-female idol group Onyanko Club. Unlike other idol groups in Japan, AKB48 is theatre-based and have their own theatre in Akihabara (a district in Tokyo) where they perform once every weekday, and more than once on both Saturday and Sunday. The theatre is set up on the 8th floor of Don Quijote. Some of the title songs released as a single have been made a tie-in song for a television show or a television advertisement.

AKB48 is divided into three teams: Team A, Team K and Team B. Currently, there are 13 members in Team A, 15 members in Team K, and 14 members in Team B, getting to the total of 42 members in AKB48. Minami Takahashi is the captain of Team A while Atsuko Maeda is AKB's most popular member.