Yasushi Akimoto
is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, making him the best-selling lyricist in Japan. Career Akimoto created the ''Chakushin Ari'' (''One Missed Call'') horror franchise, which began with his novel of the same name and was first brought to film in 2003 before being remade by Hollywood in 2008. He wrote both the novel and the screen adaptation for '' One Missed Call: Final''. Akimoto became a television writer in high school, he has produced many television programs, such as ''Utaban''. Akimoto started as a lyricist with The Alfee in 1981; he has written lyrics for various artists such as Kinki Kids, Tunnels, Onyanko Club, AKB48, SKE48, SDN48, NMB48, HKT48, NGT48, STU48, Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46. He also wrote Hibari Misora's last single during her lifetime, "Kawa no Nagare ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Meguro, Tokyo
is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Meguro City. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. Meguro is predominantly residential in character, but is also home to light industry, corporate head offices, the Komaba campus of University of Tokyo as well as fifteen foreign embassies and consulates. Residential neighborhoods include, Jiyugaoka, Kakinokizaka, and Nakameguro. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 277,171 and a population density of 18,890 persons per km2. The total area is 14.67 km2. Meguro is also used to refer to the area around Meguro Station, which is not located in Meguro ward, but in neighboring Shinagawa's Kamiōsaki district. History The Higashiyama shell mound in the north of the ward contains remains from the paleolithic, Jōmon, Yayoi, and Kofun periods. The area now known as Meguro was formerly two towns, Meguro proper and Hibusuma, all parts of the former Ebara Distri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Alfee
The Alfee is a Japanese folk rock band who debuted in 1974, and have been recording and touring since then, with 23 studio albums and 63 singles throughout their career. The band marked its 40th anniversary in 2014 with their 64th single. History Masaru Sakurai, Konosuke Sakazaki, Toshihiko Takamizawa, and Yasuo Miyake met in 1973 while students at Meiji Gakuin University, and formed the group Alfie. On August 25, 1974, they released their first single "Natsu Shigure". Around 1975, Miyake left the group, leaving the remaining group a trio. In 2003, HMV's Japanese branch ranked them number 92 in their "Top 100 Japanese pops Artists" list. The Alfee claims American folk music as their primary inspiration, but they do also take from heavy metal, hard rock, progressive rock, and Japan's "new wave". The group also takes inspiration from King Crimson, Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Pink Floyd, as they use odd time signatures, while also taking the chorus harmonies of Simon & Garfun ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kawa No Nagare No Yō Ni
is the last single recorded by Japanese enka singer Hibari Misora, as she died soon after its release in 1989. It was composed by Akira Mitake, with lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto. It was voted the greatest Japanese song of all time during a national poll in 1997 by NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee. NHK operates two terrestr ..., with more than 10 million votes. It is often the song of choice for artists performing live tributes to Misora. External links * Enka songs Japanese songs Japanese-language songs 1989 singles Songs about rivers Songs with lyrics by Yasushi Akimoto 1989 songs {{1980s-single-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hibari Misora
was a Japanese singer, actress and cultural icon. She received a Medal of Honor for her contributions to music and for improving the welfare of the public, and was the first woman to receive the People's Honour Award, which was conferred posthumously for giving the public hope and encouragement after World War II. Misora recorded a total of 1,200 songs and sold 68 million records. After she died, consumer demand for her recordings grew significantly, and, by 2001, she had sold more than 80 million records. By 2019, record sales surpassed 100 million. Her swan-song is often performed by numerous artists and orchestras as a tribute to her, including notable renditions by The Three Tenors (Spanish/Italian), Teresa Teng (Taiwanese) and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan (Mexican). Each year there is a special on Japanese television and radio featuring her songs. A memorial concert for Misora was held at the Tokyo Dome on November 11, 2012. It featured numerous musicians such as Ai, K ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Keyakizaka46
, formerly , is a Japanese idol girl group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. The group was created on August 21, 2015, becoming Nogizaka46's first sister group under the Sakamichi Series. Following the resignation of group's center Yurina Hirate and other main members, the group was rebranded as Sakurazaka46 after their last concert on October 13, 2020. The group's fans are known as Buddies. As Keyakizaka46, the group had released nine singles, eight of which topped the Oricon Singles Chart and ''Billboard Japan'' Hot 100. The group had also released three compilation albums, one of which was released by Hiragana Keyakizaka46, a subgroup who later became an independent group, Hinatazaka46. Additionally, the group hosts multiple variety shows, radio programs, and television dramas. History 2015: Formation On February 22, 2015, during the ''Nogizaka46 3rd Year Birthday Live'' at Seibu Dome, Nogizaka46 announced plans to recruit the first generation members for their new projec ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Nogizaka46
is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, created as the of the group AKB48. They are the first group from the Sakamichi Series, which also includes sister groups Sakurazaka46 (formerly Keyakizaka46), Yoshimotozaka46, and Hinatazaka46. The group's musical catalogue includes twenty-eight singles and five compilation albums. Starting with their third single, each of Nogizaka46's single releases has reached the top position on the weekly Oricon chart. The group has also created radio shows, theater productions, television programs, and films, including ''NogiBingo!'', ''Hatsumori Bemars'', '' Nogizaka Under Construction'', ''Asahinagu'', and a series of documentary films about the group. Nogizaka46 has twice won the Grand Prix at the annual Japan Record Awards, with consecutive wins for "Influencer" in 2017 and "Synchronicity" in 2018. The group has sold nearly 18 million CDs in Japan. History 2011–2012: Formation and early chart success In 2011, So ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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STU48
STU48 (Setouchi48) is a Japanese idol group and sister group of AKB48 named after the Setouchi Region. The group had a from 2019 to 2021. It is co-owned by the tourism board of Setouchi Region and is highly involved in their promotional efforts. The group's captain is Mitsuki Imamura and the vice captain is Akari Fukuda. History 2016–2017: Foundation The formation of STU48 was announced in October 2016. The application period for new members was open from January to February 5, 2017. AKB48 members Mayu Watanabe and Yuki Kashiwagi visited the governments of seven Setouchi prefectures (Hiroshima, Yamaguchi, Ehime, Hyogo, Okayama, Tokushima and Kagawa) between them to promote the auditions. On February 22, it was announced that Nana Okada of AKB48 and Rino Sashihara of HKT48 would be concurrent members of STU48 and respectively hold the positions of captain and theater manager. On March 19, 44 applicants who passed the auditions to become first generation members were intr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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NGT48
NGT48 (read "N.G.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese girl group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NGT48 is named after Niigata City of Niigata Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at the NGT48 Theater which is located in the fourth floor of the LoveLa2 shopping mall in Niigata City. After then-member Maho Yamaguchi's assault in December 2018, after which she had claimed that the management had done nothing to address other NGT48 members allegedly involved in assisting her attackers, in April 2019, the NGT48 management dissolved the team system, with all current members unified according to generations. History 2015–2018: Debut The creation of the group was announced on January 25, 2015 on the final, fifth day of a traditional series of AKB48 concerts entitled ''AKB48 Request Hour Setlist Best 1035 2015''. In October 2015, the Niigata-based company appointed NGT48 a "bakauke PR ambassador", a PR ambassador for its product named bakauke. As of December 2015, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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HKT48
HKT48 (read "H.K.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. HKT48 is named after the Hakata-ku, Fukuoka city of Fukuoka Prefecture, where Akimoto originally intended to base the group. The group currently performs at City Bank HKT48 Theater in Fukuoka and has sold nearly 4 million copies of CDs in Japan. History Plans for a group entitled ''HKT48'' were first revealed by AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto on November 19, 2008. HKT48 was officially announced on May 1, 2011 at an AKB48 handshake event. The group was the fourth AKB48 sister group to be launched, after the groups SKE48, SDN48 and NMB48. While the group took its name from its proposed base location of Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, HKT48 was eventually based at a theater in the Hawks Town Mall in neighboring Chūō-ku, Fukuoka. This location is next to the Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome. In addition, it was announced that the group would be accepting applications from girls aged between 11 and 22. The firs ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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NMB48
NMB48 (read "N.M.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group that debuted in 2011 as the second sister group to AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NMB48 is named after the Namba district in Osaka city of Osaka Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at the NMB48 Theater, which is located in the basement of the Yes-Namba Building in Namba, Osaka. The group has sold over 9 million CDs in Japan. History ;2010 On July 10, 2010, AKB48 first announced that they would be forming a second sister national group, based in Namba. NMB48 officially became active on October 9, 2010. Yasushi Akimoto announced that the group would have 26 trainees for the first generation. These members made their first appearance at the ''AKB48 Tokyo Autumn Festival''. ;2011 NMB48 made their debut performance at their theater on New Year's Day 2011. They released their debut single, "Zetsumetsu Kurokami Shōjo", on July 20, 2011. In its debut week, the single sold a total of about 218,000 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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SDN48
SDN48 (read "S.D.N. Forty-eight", short for Saturday Night 48) was a Japanese idol girl group, created and produced by Yasushi Akimoto. SDN48 was created based on an "adult idol" concept. Former AKB48 member Kayo Noro was chosen as the captain of the group. In November 2010, the group made their major label debut with "Gagaga". The group ended with a farewell concert on March 31, 2012. History 2008-2009: Formation In 2008, AKB48 producer Yasushi Akimoto decided to create a "Saturday Night 48" show, based on the concept of an "Adult idol" that would perform every Saturday at 10 pm. The shows were restricted to fans aged 18 and older. He also wanted to differentiate from AKB48's usual uniforms with sexier attire. In July 2009, two AKB48 members, Megumi Ohori and Kayo Noro were chosen as the first two members of the group. At the same time auditions were held to find other members. The SDN48 debut stage was held on July 25. At the end of AKB48's three-day Nippon Budokan concert ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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SKE48
SKE48 (S.K.E. Forty-eight) is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. SKE48 is named after the Sakae district in Nagoya of Aichi Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at SKE48 Theater on 2F of Sunshine Sakae, a shopping center in Sakae, Nagoya. Avex Group is its current official label. The group has sold nearly 11 million CDs in Japan. Concept SKE48 was founded based on the concept of "idols you can meet". The group's chief producer Yasushi Akimoto once said that his aim was to create an idol group that is unlike any other ordinary idol groups (who only give occasional concerts and are mostly seen on TV). SKE48 would perform in its own theater regularly, and fans would always be able to watch the girls performing live. The SKE48 Theater is in the Sunshine Sakae of Nagoya, Aichi. Members of this group are dispatched into three groups, chronologically named "Team S", "Team KII" and "Team E". ''Kenkyūsei'' (trainees) is the group of members trai ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |