AKB48 Group
AKB48 Group, or AKB48 sister groups, shortened to 48 Group, 48 g, refers to the sister groups of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. Based on the same concept "idols you can meet", it currently consists of 5 sister groups in locations across Japan and 7 sister groups in major Asian cities overseas from Indonesia to India. The Japan-based sister groups not only release their own singles, but also perform on some of the AKB48 singles and events. They also send participants in the AKB48 annual events such as the AKB48 general election. The sister groups outside Japan release local-language versions of the AKB48 singles. In their early development, they are often supported by temporary, concurrent members of AKB48, such as Jurina Matsui and Miyuki Watanabe.
History
AKB48's first sister group, SKE48, was formed in 2008 with its theater in Sakae, Nagoya. SDN48, NMB48 and HKT48 were later formed. NGT48 was launched in 2015, and is located in Niigata. STU48, the latest Japanese sister group, was announced during the AKB48 rock-paper-scissors tournament on October 10, 2016. It is based on the seven prefectures adjoining the coast of the Seto Inland Sea and they will have a theater on a ship.In 2011 AKB48's first sister group outside Japan, JKT48, was announced; the group is based in Jakarta, Indonesia. JKT48 was followed by another overseas AKB48 sister group: SNH48, based in Shanghai, China. On June 6, 2016, AKB48 announced it had suspended its partnership with SNH48 due to contract violations. Following the statement, SNH48 declared that it had been completely independent from AKB48 from the beginning and SNH48 management had never made any form of partnership with AKB48. On October 12, 2016, AKS established AKB48 China, based in Shanghai, and named its group AKB48 Team SH.
The creation of the TPE48 was announced on October 10, 2011 in AKB48's official blog. At that time, AKS cooperated with Yoshimoto Kogyo Taipei Branch and expected to start audition work in 2012. However, the two sides failed to reach a consensus in the preparation work, and thus they were discontinued after the second half of 2012. Three new overseas sister groups were announced in March 2016: BNK48, based in Bangkok, Thailand; MNL48, based in Manila, the Philippines and TPE48, based in Taipei, Taiwan. On July 30, 2018, AKS canceling a joint venture and license agreement with TPE48's management and created AKB48 Team TP. The formation of CGM48, named after and based in Chiang Mai, Thailand, as a domestic sister group of BNK48 was announced in Chiang Mai on 2 June 2019.
On December 27, 2017, Yui Yokoyama, the general manager of AKB48 and former captain of Team A, announced the formation of MUM48, based in Mumbai, India, in 2018, through a Showroom live broadcast. On June 19, 2019, MUB48, based on Mumbai replacing MUM48, and DEL48, based on Delhi, was announced.
On June 21, 2018, AKS announced the formation of SGO48, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Produce 48 & Iz*One
On June 15, 2018, the AKB48 groups participated in the Korean reality competition show Produce 48, which acted as the third season for the Mnet series Produce 101. The show brought in 96 girls to compete for a spot in a 12 member girl group that would promote in both Korea and Japan for two and a half years. Of those 96 contestants, 57 were from Korean talent agencies while 39 were from AKB48 groups. It was a large scale production that had viewers, dubbed "national producers", vote to pick the girls that would get to debut in the group. At the start of the show, the contestants performed a song in front of mentors for evaluation to earn a grade of A, B, C, D, or F based on their abilities. In each episode, the contestants were put through challenges that demonstrated their abilities to perform, granting them the chance to change their individual grade and popularity ranking. Throughout the show, the AKB48 girls were considered underdogs, as they began the show with less individual training in multi-faceted performing compared to the Korean contestants. Despite this, some of the AKB48 girls were able to prove themselves among the other members, as 11 of the AKB48 girls entered the top 12 popularity ranking at multiple points in the show, with AKB48's Miho Miyazaki earning the top ranking once and HKT48's Sakura Miyawaki earning it twice.On August 31, 2018, the show's final episode aired and the final contestants were chosen to debut in a new group named Iz*One. Among the 12 members chosen to debut were AKB48's Hitomi Honda, HKT48's Nako Yabuki and HKT48's Sakura Miyawaki. The group was an immediate success, as their debut showcase at the Olympic Hall was sold out in minutes. Their first extended play COLOR*IZ was released on October 29, 2018 and sold over 34,000 units as reported by Hanteo Chart, setting a new record for the highest number of albums sold on the first day of a Korean girl group's debut release. The music video for the lead single "La Vie en Rose" achieved more than 4.5 million views within 24 hours of its release on YouTube, making it the most-watched debut music video by a Korean act in 24 hours. Since their debut, the group has earned multiple awards, including best rookie group of the year at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.
After the finale of the next season of the show, it was found out that the votes of both seasons were rigged.
Current groups
| Group name | Band color | Years active | Teams | Location | Notes |
| JKT48 | 2011–present | Team J, Team KIII, Team T, Academy | Jakarta, Indonesia | First overseas sister group | |
| BNK48 | 2017–present | Team BIII, Team NV, Trainee | Bangkok, Thailand | Also has a sister group CGM48 | |
| MNL48 | 2018–present | Team MII, Team NIV, Team L, Trainee | Manila, Philippines | ||
| AKB48 Team SH | 2018–present | Team SH, Trainee | Shanghai, China | Replace SNH48 in China | |
| AKB48 Team TP | 2018–present | Daisy, Bellflower, Sakura, Trainee | Taipei, Taiwan | Formerly TPE48 | |
| SGO48 | 2018–present | Trainee | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | FanDebut on December 22, 2018 | |
| CGM48 | 2019–present | Team C, Trainee | Chiang Mai, Thailand | First domestic sister group of BNK48 | |
| DEL48 | Orange – White | 2019–present | Trainee | Delhi, India | 1st generation members selected |
| MUB48 | Green – White | Pending debut | Mumbai, India | Formerly MUM48 |
Former groups
| Group name | Years active with AKB48 Group | Teams | Location | Notes |
| SNH48 | 2013–2016 | Team SII, Team NII, Team HII, Team X, Team LXS, Trainee | Shanghai, China | Declared independent from AKB48 in 2016, still active |