SDN48 (read "S.D.N. Forty-eight", short for Saturday Night 48) was a
Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements b ...
girl group
A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...
, created and produced by
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 ...
. SDN48 was created based on an "adult idol" concept. Former
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 ...
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
The , often shortened to simply Budokan, is an indoor arena located in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It was originally built for the inaugural Olympic judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics. While its primary purpose is to host martial arts con ...
concert the teams were reshuffled, leading to the removal of Kayo Noro, Megumi Ohori, Yukari Sato, and Kazumi Urano, leaving them to focus solely on SDN48 activities. Noro was also made the captain of the group.
It was announced on September 27, 2009, that understudy Yuki Iwata had departed from the group due to health reasons. Two months later, Eiko Maeda was transferred from
sister group
In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree.
Definition
The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram:
Taxon A and t ...
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 ...
to SDN48. Upon joining the group Maeda changed her stage name to
Machiko Tezuka
(born 25 February 1986) is a Japanese idol, and member of SDN48. She has previously had careers as a gravure idol/bikini model under the stage name , and , as a member of idol group SKE48.
Biography
In 2004, Tezuka began her career in the grav ...
.
2010-2011: Major label debut
During their first anniversary concert, Noro announced to the audience that SDN48 would debut under
Universal Music
Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, Dutch law. UMG's cor ...
in the fall. The group also suggested they would be eliminating the age restriction. Through their TV show, , SDN48 held a election to determine the top twelve members who would participate in their debut single. Former AKB48 member Megumi Ohori won No. 1 and was given the center position. The single would be titled "
Gagaga
GAGAGA is the debut single of the Japanese Idol Group 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 ...
" and be released on November 24, 2010. On September 30, 2nd generation member Sakura Fukuyama announced through her blog that she would be leaving the group due to health problems. Chinese member Chen Qu was chosen as Fukuyama replacement. The group was scheduled to release their second single on 23 March 2011; however, due to the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March, the single was postponed until 6 April.
2012: Disbandment
On March 31, 2012, all the members graduated from the group and the group was disbanded. On April 19, 2012, former SDN48 members participated in AKB48's 2nd revival stage concert which took place on May 15.
2013: Reunion & New Projects
On March 31, 2013, one year after the disbandment, an SDN48 reunion concert was held at AKB48 theater.
On May 6, 2013, it was announced that seven former members were creating a new group, called 7cm. The group was under the Avex label and the members include Juri Kaida, KONAN, Mana Ito, Haruka Umeda, Megumi Imayoshi, Mami Kato and Miyuu Hosoda. The group disbanded on August 30, 2013.
Members
1st Generation
*
Kazue Akita
is a Japanese singer. She graduated from 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 A ...
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 ...
Team B member)
* Misa Okochi
* Megumi Ohori (Former AKB48 Team K member)
* Jyuri Kaida
* Mami Kato
* Masami Kochi
*
Haruka Kohara
is a former member of the Japanese idol groups AKB48 and SDN48.Serina
* Chen Qu
*
Machiko Tezuka
(born 25 February 1986) is a Japanese idol, and member of SDN48. She has previously had careers as a gravure idol/bikini model under the stage name , and , as a member of idol group SKE48.
Biography
In 2004, Tezuka began her career in the grav ...
(Former
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 ...
member)
* Nachu
* Reiko Nishikunihara
*
Kayo Noro
is a Japanese singer and entertainer who is represented by the talent agency, Ohta Production. She is a former member of idol groups AKB48 and SDN48
SDN48 (read "S.D.N. Forty-eight", short for Saturday Night 48) was a Japanese idol girl group, ...
(Captain; Former AKB48 Team K member)
* Chisaki Hatakeyama
* Hiromi Mitsui
* Seara Kojo
* Hitomi Komatani (Former AKB48 Team A member)
* Saemi Shinahama
* Jung Si-yeon
* Hana Tojima (Former AKB48 Team A member)
* Miray
Former members
* Ayami Nakazato (Graduated December 24, 2009) a former
Kishidan
, which means "The Knights", are a Japanese rock band. They have a retro image, wearing Japanese school uniforms in the style of bōsōzoku. The lead singer, Sho Ayanokoji (often styled as "Show Ayanocozey"), was DJ Ozma, until he retired in De ...
backdancer, and OZ-MAX member Ayami of
DJ OZMA
, known professionally as DJ Ozma (stylized DJ OZMA) and legally as , is a Japanese pop singer and musical artist. He is also known as Show Ayanocozey of the rock band Kishidan and Naomi Camelia Yazima of the drag queen pop group Yazima Beauty S ...
* Sakura Fukuyama (Graduated October 2010)
* Kana Ito (Graduated February 2011)
* Yuka Ninomiya (Graduated May 2011)
* Tomomi Tanisaki (Graduated May 2011)
*
Sayo Hayakawa
is a Japanese fashion model. She is best known for her stint as a main model for the ''Koakuma Ageha'' cabaret-gyaru fashion magazine.
Hayakawa is well known as a former prominent cabaret hostess. After retiring from nightwork in 2010, she sti ...
All SDN48's members did perform only one stage, "Yuuwaku no Garter". They usually were divided as 1st and 2nd/3rd generation stages. They performed at the AKB Theater.