, formerly , is a Japanese

talent agency Talent has two principal meanings: * Talent (measurement), an ancient unit of mass and value * Talent (skill), a group of aptitudes useful for some activities; talents may refer to aptitudes themselves or to possessors of those talents Talent may ...

, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is involved in various entertainment-related activities, including music, film and merchandise production.

History

AKS had managed the Japanese idol groups

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol girl group named after the Akihabara (''Akiba'' for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with it ...

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 s ...

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 base ...

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 ...

, and

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 fl ...

, as well as the Japanese promotional activities of South Korean-Japanese idol group,

Iz*One Iz*One ( ; ko, 아이즈원, Aijeuwon; ja, アイズワン, Aizuwan; stylized as IZ*ONE) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: Jang ...

. AKB48 employed a so-called "transfer system" for the first to tenth generation members, where members started out under AKS management and should receive a contract offer from other artist management companies after a predetermined period. Members in the next generations would be managed directly by AKS, although they could still accept offers to transfer to other agencies. In 2016, ownership of NMB48 was transferred from Kyoraku Yoshimoto Holdings to AKS, putting all the 48 groups at the time under AKS's banner. In 2019, the talent agency KeyHolder acquired SKE48 and placed it under the management of its subsidiary SKE, Inc., renamed in June to Zest, Inc.; AKS received a 20% stake in the subsidiary. It was also announced that

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, maki ...

is no longer part of AKS management and is only involved as the creative producer. In June, NMB48 was sold back to Kyoraku Yoshimoto Holdings. In 2020, AKS was restructured into Vernalossom and transferred ownership of the three remaining Japanese idol groups to three independent business entities, while Vernalossom would retain control of the AKB48 sister groups outside Japan. AKB48 would be managed by DH, headed by Kazuki Uchimura, who is also the CEO of the AKB48 Group costume maker, Osare Company. HKT48 would be managed by Mercury and NGT48 by Flora, both of which are subsidiaries of the holding company Sproot, itself co-owned by

Line Corporation Line Corporation is a Tokyo-based subsidiary of Z Holdings, which is jointly owned by Softbank Group and Naver Corporation. The company's business is mainly associated with the development of mobile applications and Internet services, particular ...

, , and the advertising company Piala. In May, it was announced that KeyHolder has also bought out Vernalossom's subsidiary North River, Inc., a transportation company which also owned 50% of

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 ...

's management company.

Artists

Current artists

Units

JKT48 JKT48 (read as "J. K. T. forty-eight") is an Indonesian-Japanese Japanese idol, idol girl group whose name is derived from its based city of Jakarta and the Japanese idol group AKB48. Formed in 2011, the group is the first AKB48 sister group outs ...

BNK48 BNK48 (read ''B.N.K. Forty-eight'') is a Thai Teen idol, idol Musical ensemble, girl group and the third international sister group of Japan's AKB48, following Indonesia's JKT48 and China's SNH48 (''former''). After holding its first audition i ...

MNL48 MNL48 (read as ''M.N.L. Forty-eight'') is a Filipino idol girl group based in Manila, Philippines. Formed in 2018, they are the fourth international sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 (''former''), and Thailand's BNK48 ...

AKB48 Team SH AKB48 Team SH (also known as 冲吧少女组合/Chong Ba Shaonu Zuhe) is a Chinese idol group based in Shanghai, China and an official sister group of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. It was established in 2018 after the dissolution of AKB ...

AKB48 Team TP AKB48 Team TP formerly known as TPE48, is a Taiwanese idol group and the sixth international sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 (''former''), Thailand's BNK48, Philippines's MNL48, and China's AKB48 Team SH. The grou ...

CGM48 CGM48 (read ''C.G.M. Forty-eight'') is a Thai Teen idol, idol girl group. It is the first domestic sister group of the Thai idol group BNK48, and the eighth international AKB48 Group, sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 ...

Talents

Nako Yabuki is a Japanese singer and actress. She is a member of the Japanese idol girl group HKT48 and is a former member of the South Korean-Japanese girl group Iz*One after the competition television show ''Produce 48''. She joined HKT48 in November 201 ...

(HKT48) *

Shekinah Arzaga Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a plac ...

(MNL48)

Former artists

(Transfer to DH, Co. Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Keyholder/ZEST, Co. Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Kyoraku Yoshimoto, Co. Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Mercury, Co.Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Flora, Co.Ltd.) *

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 ...

(2010–2012) *

IZ*ONE Iz*One ( ; ko, 아이즈원, Aijeuwon; ja, アイズワン, Aizuwan; stylized as IZ*ONE) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: Jang ...

(2018–2021, co-managed by Off The Record) *

Sakura Miyawaki is a Japanese singer and actress based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Le Sserafim. Miyawaki began her music career with the girl group HKT48 in 2011, and was a concurrent member of their sister group AKB48 from ...

(Transfer to A.M. Entertainment) *

Hitomi Honda is a Japanese singer. In 2014, she debuted as a member of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48 as a member of Team 8, representing Tochigi Prefecture. From 2018 to 2021, she was a member of the South Korean-Japanese girl group Iz*One. Career ...

(Transfer to DH, Co.Ltd.) *

DEL48 DEL48 (read D.E.L. Forty-Eight) was an Indian idol group whose name is derived from its based city in New Delhi, India. They are the ninth international sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 (''former''), Thailand's B ...

(2019-2020) *

SGO48 SGO48 (read ''S.G.O. Forty-Eight'') was a Vietnamese idol girl group based in Saigon, officially known as Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. They were the seventh international sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 (''former''), ...

(2018–2021)