It's election time for the AKB48 idols. But lurking under the surface right now are several unsavory rumors.
For a start, the alleged connections between AKB48 executives and the yakuza. These have emerged again even after AKB48 big wig Yasushi Kubota sued the Shukan Bunshun last year for such remarks.
Now there are also suggestions that Kubota and former AKB48 hottie Tomomi Kasai (21) -- and no stranger to her own sex-related scandals -- are conducting an affair.
Images have been published supposedly showing the pair returning late at night to a luxury condo.
Kasai is also ...
Here's something we always suspected!
A Japanese tabloid has published rumors that the founders of AKB48 may not simply be sickening old men with a liking for teenaged girls -- but have close connections with the yakuza, the Japanese mafia.
Given that the Japanese government is using public funds for its risible "Cool Japan" schemes, which have Yasushi Akimoto as an advisor, essentially this means the government has been paying a mafia-related organization to promote the nation.
The weekly Shukan Shincho has published a picture and allegations that one of AKB48 founders Kotaro Shiba ...
It's that time of year again.
With the AKB48 "elections" taking place to see who gets to sing in the next song, Twitter is awash with pictures of boxes of CDs and tickets purchased by passionate otaku fans.
One fan has shared images of towers of boxes, boasting that they spent 1,917,800 yen on them -- and paid for on delivery in cash to the mail man too! They now have thousands of CDs to play to their heart's content.
Another is meant to have shared images of 1,614,400 yen's worth of merchandise -- about half a year's salary for most people.
Or there are piles of ...
We've always known that the people behind AKB48 do not understand the meaning of bad taste, and here's the latest demonstration. From Lolicon kiddy dancing to "hand-bras", AKB48 continues to plumb the depths of the cringe-worthy.
AKB48 member Yuki Kashiwagi is filmed grating a yam to make totoro for no better reason that than it is an excuse to show incredibly gratuitous and infantile shots of her drinking what is suggested to be cum.
Seriously, this is embarrassing to watch. They literally show close-ups of the idol's mouth eating the white liquid -- and yet, Yuki is forced to ...
A man has been arrested for running an online dating (deai-kei) scam that scammed 2,100 otaku out of 210 million yen over the years.
Deai-kei websites are common portals in Japan, usually a ruse for informal prostitution or enjo kosai. In this case, the owner tricked members into thinking they would be able to exchange emails with their favorite AKB48 idols and even go on dates with the girls.
The trial has begun of the 32-year-old man from Chiba who ran the site. He would have his part-time employees send mails to the otaku posing as celebrities and idols. After a time, these mails ...
The upcoming AKB48 General Election is proving an odd event, with lots of surprising choices.
Tomomi Itano, who has announced her graduation from AKB48, is nonetheless appearing in the election. Two other members who are pursuing solo projects and are very likely to graduate soon -- e.g. Haruna Kojima, Minami Takahashi -- are also taking part.
On the other hand, Sayaka Akimoto has also announced her graduation from the group and that she won't be making a swan song entry in the election, depriving fans of the chance to vote for her one last time.
Some other members have said they ...
Yasushi Akimoto, the dictator producer behind AKB48, has made some bizarre comments during a radio interview that seems to backtrack on everything he has created in his idol army.
Following the recent outrage over Minimi Minegishi's shaven head scandal after she dared to have sex, he seems to have adopted the age-old practice of any politician -- the u-turn.
"I don't really want to say because it'll produce misunderstandings... But the ban on romance is something we use in the songs and what we say, but it's not really the case that romance is banned."
He elaborated...
"It's ...
We've long been an advocate that Haruna Kojima is one of the very few girls in the AKB48 millions who is genuinely attractive (along with the lovely Rie Kitahara!)
So here's some good news.
Haruna has been chosen by sexy Japanese lingerie brand Peach John to be their new face (and body) modeling the spring line-up.
Here she is showing off the new Workbra and also her own svelte figure (oh, and apparently trying to speak French).
Haruna's choice by Peach John also represents a victory of sorts as the lingerie maker tends to choose haafu for its models (for their exotic ...
Apologies for the excess in AKB48-related posts recently. There's just been so much to write about.
The latest member of the idol "music" group to hit the tabloid rumor lane is Yuki Kashiwagi.
She apparently went on a gokon, the group date very common among young people in Japan.
Yuki's late-night gokon might have been with Japanese soccer players and also famed Japanese porn star Kirara Asuka.
Yuki is 21 and officially single -- so there should be nothing scandalous about this. Except she works at AKB48 where the members are not allowed to have private lives.
This is ...
The scandal resulting from Minami Minegishi's outrageous decision to have a relationship with dancer Alan Shirahama has brought immense publicity to AKB48 and turned what was a tabloid scoop into an ad giving the name power of the group's "brand" a major push overseas.
All publicity is good publicity, after all.
But doubt over the sincerity of Minegish's "apology" has been cast after photos emerged showing a happy Miichan posing sans signs of contrition with the other main AKB ladies -- for now, themselves sex-free and scandal-free -- shortly after having her head shorn in the style of the ...
