AKB48

AKB48, a popular Japanese girl band, could be banned from performing at the 2020 Olympics. Radhika Sanghani explains what you need to know about them - so you can make up your own mind.

A Japanese all-girl pop group is causing controversy as Olympic officials debate whether to let them perform on stage in 2020.

AKB48 – which has about 140 rotating members ranging from their teens to early 20s – has been called “embarrassing” and “the shame of Japan.”

Pretty strong words for a girl band.

But when the band’s creator Yasushi Akimoto - also a member of the Olympic organising committee executive board - proposed the girls to sing at the games, Japanese TV celebrity Matsuko Deluxe said: “Please use somebody for the opening and closing ceremonies that wouldn’t be an embarrassment.”

Ouch.

The group is known for its choreographed dances and high-pitched voices. Lyrics include the mind-boggling “Come here Labrador dog, after long last, let me hold you tight,” and “fortune cookie of my heart.”

Most of their songs are upbeat and occasionally the group sings parts in English (“come on, come on, come on”).

The band is named after the Akhibara area of Tokyo (AKB), and the 48 stands for the original number of girls.

Today, there are around 140 members on rotation. Older singers “graduate” and are replaced by trainees selected at Pop Idol-style auditions, held twice a year. Fans can also vote on which members get to appear in the music videos.

It means AKB48 is one the largest pop groups in the world, and its fan base is even bigger – tickets to the group’s shows are distributed via a lottery and their 23 latest singles have topped Japanese charts.

The group is known for portraying the Japanese style of ‘kawaii’ - which basically means cuteness.

They often don costumes – think cartoon-like doll outfits that match. The girls typically wear short skirts with long socks (the 'schoolgirl' look is part of their image) or dance around in bikinis in their music videos.

The Washington Post described them as: "It is as if Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift and the entire cast of Twilight were placed into a saucepan and simmered on a low boil until nothing remained but the sweet, cloying essence of fame, and if that fame were then poured into pleated tartan skirts and given pigtails".

Akimoto, a music producer, created the group in December 2005 with the concept “idols you can meet everyday."

The group have a number of TV programmes to their name, such as AKBINGO! and reality shows. They regularly have ‘handshake’ events where fans can meet them face-to-face.

Member Misaki Isawa once explained that the band contains three teams – A, K and yes, B.

A represents freedom, B is the idol-like team with cute costumes and K is meant to represent strength and power.

No dating' is a serious part of AKB48’s management rules – the idea being that if they don’t have boyfriends, they won’t shatter fans’ illusions of their cuteness.

Member Minami Minegishi once broke this rule and was spotted leaving her boyfriend’s apartment. In response, she shaved off her long hair to show contrition for her “thoughtless and immature” actions – her words.

Minami Minegishi post- shaving her head. Photo: Youtube

She was demoted to the role of trainee member as punishment.

They were once attacked by a saw-wielding fan

This year AKB48 hit the international press when two members were attacked by a man carrying a saw at one of the band’s handshake events.

Rina Kawaei, 19, and Anna Iriyama, 18, both escaped with broken bones, cuts on their arms and heads caused by the 50cm (20in) saw.

So what do you think?