Learn about the AKB48 business model
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class: News and Current Events in Japan, Season 1 - Lesson 5, The AKB48 Business Model. |
| The idol group AKB48 uses a different, more personal business model for idol groups and has changed how many groups in Japan and abroad operate. In this lesson, we'll learn about this news story. |
Lesson focus |
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| AKB means "Akihabara," which is a neighborhood located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. |
| At the end of 2005, a large female idol group debuted, produced by Mr. Akimoto Yasushi. |
| This group was called "AKB48.” |
| Its concept is "idols you can meet.” |
| AKB48 dramatically changes what idols are—from just "adoration" and idols that are only seen on TV and in magazines, to a group fans can approach and meet. |
| This business model is probably most notably characterized by a feature in which fans can support and help their favourite idol succeed by investing considerable amounts of money. |
| One such method is included in their CDs, which offer a "handshaking ticket" or a "voting ticket." |
| There is no limit on purchase amounts per person, unlike bargain goods in supermarkets. So, if a fan wants to shake hands with the idol more times (or for a longer time) or give her an edge in the voting polls, he/she can spend hundreds of thousands of yen to buy a large number of CDs. |
| Notably, the general elections of AKB are now as popular as (or more popular than) national elections. |
| Fans try to acquire multiple voting tickets so that their favorite idols can rise to the top of AKB48. |
| Fans literally run from east to west to buy CDs. |
| Using this system, which encourages fans to invest money and creates a sense of unity at the same time, AKB48’s popularity spread rapidly. |
| Nowadays, there are more and more idol groups coming out under the same business model, not only in Japan, but in many regions including East Asia. |
Outro |
| Those are the key facts about the the AKB48 business model. |
| If you want to find the related Japanese keywords, make sure to check out the lesson notes. |
| Okay, that’s all for this lesson. Thank you for listening everyone, and keep listening for more of the most talked about news stories in Japan! |
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