CONCEPTION & DEBUT
2005-2008 | AKB48's early struggles
AKB48 theater opening and original teams formation:
★ Team A from the 1st generation
★ Team K from the 2nd generation
★ Team B from the 3rd generation
On AKB48's first theater performance, their audience consists of only 7 actual guests, with the rest of the spectators being guests from the media. Nevertheless, they persevered!
During this time, founding members lead the group, most notably AKB48 original center Maeda Atsuko and 2nd generation ace Oshima Yuko.
RISE TO NATIONAL IDOLS
2009-2010 | Primary milestones achieved
AKB48 starts to gain important momentum!
★ Signed to major labels (Defstar, then KingRecords)
★ Release of karaoke hit Heavy Rotation
★ Invited to Kouhaku Uta Gassen as their own act¹
AKB48 also holds their groundbreaking signature events, the Senbatsu Sousenkyo (SSK) and Janken Taikai for the first time and conducts the first group-wide Team Shuffle in 2009.
The term Kami7 or "Godly 7" to refer to the original legendary members becomes more common, after the Top 7 of the Senbatsu Sousenkyo remain the same for 2 years in a row.
¹ AKB48 was invited to Kouhaku in 2007 to sing a special medley with Leah Dizon & Nakagawa Shoko. In 2009, AKB48 was invited again; this time as a standalone act to perform their own song, RIVER
GOLDEN ERA
2011-2012 | Tokyo Dome dream realized
AKB48 becomes the top idol group in Japan!
★ Wins Japan Record Awards Grand Prix 2 times
★ Performed a concert at Tokyo Dome
★ Sells more CDs than top group Morning Musume
★ Start of 1mio sales streak (Sakura no ki ni narou)
And after establishing the first 3 teams in the first year of debut, a new Team 4 debuts in 2011!
The Golden Era closes with Maeda Atsuko's graduation and Tokyo Dome Team Shuffle in 2012, where Takahashi Minami is made Soukantoku (General Manager) of AKB48.
NEW ERA
2013-2014 | New faces of AKB48
After Team 4, a team with a different concept (idols that come to meet you) is formed as Team 8 in 2014, with each member representing a prefecture in Japan.
At the same time, popular founding members begin to graduate from the group:
★ Shinoda Mariko at Fukuoka Dome in 2013
★ Akimoto Sayaka at Tokyo Dome in 2013
★ Itano Tomomi at Tokyo Dome in 2013
★ Oshima Yuko at Ajinomoto Stadium in 2014
With AKB48's big names graduating, Senbatsu Sousenkyo winners Watanabe Mayu and Sashihara Rino step up to lead the group to relative stability as Japan's top idols!
This era also sees the horrific handsaw assault incident in 2014, where members Kawaei Rina and Iriyama Anna are attacked at a handshake event.
SILVER ERA
2015-2017 | Sister groups prominence
Other idol groups such as Momoiro Clover Z and rivals Nogizaka46 and Keyakizaka46 see significant growth in popularity, threatening AKB48's position as Japan's top female idol group...
And more of AKB's big names are graduating:
★ Kawaei Rina at SSA in 2015
★ Shimazaki Haruka at AKB48 Theater in 2016
★ Takahashi Minami at Yokohama Stadium in 2016
★ Kojima Haruna at Yoyogi National Stadium in 2017
★ Watanabe Mayu at SSA in 2017
(Following Soukantoku Takahashi Minami graduation, Yokoyama Yui is appointed as her successor)
To mend their stagnating popularity and the gap left from big names graduating, more established sister group aces and kennin members are pushed in senbatsu, especially Matsui Jurina and Miyawaki Sakura.
This era marks the beginning of AKB48's descent from being the national top idols...