A sub-unit of the highly popular Japanese idol group AKB48 is set to perform in the Philippines for the first time this November.
AKB48’s Team 8 will perform during the Cool Japan Festival event, which is set to happen on November 7 and 8 at the TriNoma Activity Center in Quezon City.
Team 8, a newly-formed sub-unit of AKB48 sponsored by car manufacturer Toyota, is composed of 47 members coming from each of the 47 prefectures of Japan.
Only 12 of the 47 members will be part of the 30-minute performances on Saturday, November 7, at 12:30pm & 06:40pm, and on Sunday, November 8, at 01:00pm & 05:30pm.
The 12 members performing in the country are Rin Okabe, Maria Shimizu, Yoshikawa Nanase, Oda Erina, Shiori Sato, Nao Ota, Nanami Yamada, Onishi Momoka, Yuri Tani, Riona Hamamatsu, Yurina Gyoute, and Reina Fukuchi.
A representative of PolyEast Records, the local music rights holder of AKB48 songs, tell Anime Pilipinas that they are “testing the waters” to gauge the reaction of J-pop fans in the country.
They also said that they may consider selling music CDs during the November event.
Cool Japan Festival is organized by Hallo Hallo Business, Inc. and will showcase Japanese culture and lifestyle. Admission to the event is free.
Thanks to JM Santos Reyes for translating our Japanese sources.
