Do you or someone you know want to join AKB48, but...

Excuse me. I have a wish to join AKB48, but I do not know how?Does anyone help me?

 

I get it might be pretty unrealistic and somewhat of a hassle for them to fly foreigners over to Japan to join AKB48 itself since it's the most popular girl group over there, but what if they can start a new sister group in America, Canada, Australia, etc? It's less of a hassle but it still has the same positive effects, not to mention it spreads their names even more in foreign countries? I'd probably die of happiness if they open in America though, so I wouldn't be able to audition anyways.

 

As of this moment I have applied to join HKT48! Its not that hard. They even have a button if you are a foreigner. My Japanese is all very formal but we get 3 months of training before hand. I know that's not enough time to learn the language but it's not like they will have you on TV shows at the beginning. As long as you can react and speak a little bit you should be fine. Apart from singing that's all you would probably need. I don't see a problem with not knowing a lot. As long as you can understand them it should be fine!

 

Has anyone tried a petition? The Love Live fandom is doing one to stream muse's final concert. If we get a petition going it could work.

 

As I've stated here once before, if you live outside of Japan you more than likely will not be contacted for an audition. It's predominantly due to visa restrictions, but you can't just come over to Japan and be signed up as an artist and earn a wage when (I'm assuming) you're still a high school student. It's not impossible, but it requires a lot of hoop jumping, and it even took me a long time to get approved for work at SKE. And I was in Japan and had a valid visa!! lol.

I actually made a petition back in 2011 to join SKE and had heaps of people sign it etc. I auditioned at least twice and couldn't make it. I'm too old now (25), so in the end figured it was best to become staff if I could. Great experience and I hope to return there this year. But it was hard work. If you aren't fluent in Japanese you will not make it. Same goes for if you want to be a member. I'm not just talking about speaking. I also mean reading and writing.

I know I sound like a total jerk, but I just don't want you to get your hopes up too much. There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you don't see, and it's not as clear cut as you've made it sound.
However, in saying that, I wish you the best of luck with your endeavours. if you don't try, you'll never know, so it's good to be motivated!

 

My question to you is simple. Why should we not try? *retorical* You will always miss 100% of the chances you never take. Like you said it's futile but what do we have to loose. There was a girl from Texas who got in and yes she was part Japanese but she still got in. I'm assuming they when through the same VISA work any other foriemger would have to go through.

To say that it's hard to get a VISA is a lie. At least in Canada it's fairly simple. I can see AKB48 not wanting to put in the work but if we raised enough awareness at least we could get an Audition to take place here out in an English speaking country.


With Japanese it would take time. I'm studying Japanese in school so I know it's not easy but do you think we think it's easy? If you think so then you have no idea what we try and go through.

You work at a 48 Group and that's great. I understand that you may work with the handling of the auditions but not the selections themselves. What you know may not be the future.

I know for almost 100% I won't get in but there has been people how have gotten lucky. I believe a girl from Europe got in JKT48. Then the previously mentioned girl from Texas.

I don't believe it's impossible and I really hope that someday it will be possible to stand on an AKB48 stage as a member. I am only 17 so I still have some time but we need to do something. Fans from English speaking countries are often an after thought and I don't want that to be true.

I have wanted to join since 2009. That alone shows that we have dedication. (Or at least me but that's not the point.)


What I'm trying to say is we have to do something! I have only been recently able to accually apply as my parents didn't want their 14 year old running around Japan by theirself so I was only given permission since eairly 2015. I'm going to apply till I can't anymore and I'm not stoping there. I hope you understand its us young ones who have to try. I got to cross this RIVER! I though the song RIVER made that clear. (The river may be an literal ocean but dilly dally shilly shally)

I'm considering starting a petition of some sort. Once it's half complete I will share it here. I want to aim for 10000 signatures but we probably need more around 30000+.

 

What's the person's name "from Texas" (if actually exist)? That's person would be the best person for advice about this subject (than this place). Too bad, nobody knows that person's name to do some research on. Like a blog, twitter... etc...

I guess keep that "dream" alive! And river is NOT a ocean.

 

Maybe the girl from Texas graduated or is some super unknown member because she's not senbatsu.

Also, petitions are great way to go because they will definitely listen and take notice of that!! oh yes!!

 

Mate, I wasn't trying to discourage you. In fact, I did say at the end of everything you should try because "if you don't you'll never know". I'm only trying to offer you some realistic insight. Maybe you could take what I've said and use it to your advantage and plan ahead about the potential problems I've pointed out?

In regards to the girl from
Texas...Are you talking about Hirari? I thought she was from Phoenix? I'm sorry if I'm incorrect. I'm not American so maybe my geography is off completely.
If there is a girl from Texas who is Japanese who got in, it's more than likely she had a dual passport which means she can live and work in Japan as a Japanese citizen. Nothing to do with a visa for a foreigner with no Japanese ties.

Its good to be motivated, though. Hope you can get in.

 

Yeah Hirari is from Arizona, Texas is nowhere close other than same country.

 

Oh man, wil! But they're both areas that are reportedly hot as hell, right? You can see where my confusion came in...Shirley!?
Aiyo. Out!! Heh

 

^I know... I'm just having fun with ya luv.

 

I know, ya bloody galah! hehe.

Anyway, sorry for dragging this OT...maybe it's time someone made a US geography thread. Hur.

 

I'll take that as a compliment.

And I'll get to work on that thread for ya.

 

Yes I'm talking about Hirari I though she was from Texas. I'm not from the US so we could both be wrong.

I did read your post and I did think about it. In real life I'm an a pessimist and a paranoid fool I really don't need the realism from people on line. With that said you did point out somethings that is useful.

I don't think Hirari had dual citizenship at the time she applied because she was born in the US. (When you look her up it says she was born where her mother was born. That's the reason I'm unsure exactly where she was born but she WAS born in the US.) She probably applied for citizenship after she got to the group. Though that's mear speculation.

I made a petition yesterday before I went to bed. I'm only 17 and not fit to run it by myself. If anyone wants to help please come help. My Japanese grammar is very shaky and I don't have a way to make a logo but if everyone who had replied in this thread signed it then that's a start!

 

My only advice is... do some research FIRST. If you like diving into the ocean before learning how to swin, that's your choice but not very smart.

 

Who says I'm telling you everything. I'm a person who plans out situations before they happen. Do you really think I'm not researching?

It's not easy to see my credibility as I don't post or come on this site too often but I have been looking at ways to join the 48G since I was 12. I have also KNOW that Mariko (AKB48 Gen 1.5) was brought in due to popular demand.

Being out of country is a major difference but it does shows we have options. That I figured out with less than 5 minutes of googling. Imagine 5 years.

 

Well then... thank you for your time and I won't be signing any petitions regarding this matter. Have a good day.

Spoiler

And that "googling" didn't help you find out the "actual" location where Hirari is from. While people from this site have known that since 2012.

The fact you didn't "research" the very person you were using as a reference told me a whole lot about your "researching" skills. Have a good day!

 

I'm (probably) not going to reply anymore after this, but I have an idea for you (credit goes to Wil).
Have you thought about maybe waiting until you're at least an adult (18) and then going to Japan as perhaps a student on university exchange or entering a language school? If you go this route you will have a student visa and you will be allowed to work 28 hours per week under the conditions of the visa. While you're in Japan as a student, you can potentially apply for one of the 48 groups.

Have you ever been to Japan? Travelling there and living there are two very different things, and you need to think about how you'd find somewhere to live and support yourself.

If you have a student visa, whatever school you're enrolled with can help set you up with dorm accommodation. This option can be quite expensive (it was costing me around $1000 a month in Tokyo when I was at Waseda. This included food and electricity and water. Somewhere like Nagoya is around half that price), but it's a good alternative to having to find somewhere on your own.

Also, I'm trying to tell you that regardless of if you have a petition or not, you need to think about the realities. What is going to be your selling point? Are you hoping that just because you aren't Japanese that AKS will take you? If that's the case, I think you need to maybe rethink your angle.
You need to be able to understand everything that is being said to you because there won't be people in HKT or NGT or SKE that can help you with English. And you can't just rely on the thinking of "well it's fine cos I will just get better at Japanese once I join the group". Start studying now and devote yourself to it. If that's what you really want. Going to uni or school over there will also help you.

Instead of thinking everyone is out to get you and tell you you can't do it, you should be taking what we say and using it to research things for yourself further. I actually have some semblance of understanding how things work there. I used to work for them!! I wouldn't just go out of my way to upset your dreams. So please don't tell me I am trying to discourage you when I'm just trying to provide you with realistic thinking.

I genuinely wish you luck, and I hope you can take in at least a bit of what I and wil have proffered as advice.

 

This is not really related to the subject of the thread but what kind of work did you do in SKE48, and how did you get it? I'm majoring in Japanese (still very early in my studies, mind you, so it will take me a few more years to be fluent and until I graduate) so I'll be able to speak Japanese fluently eventually, and I always wanted to move to Japan, and since I'm a huge idol fan, a job related to idols sounds amazing, even if there is no direct contact Obviously auditioning is no option for me (I'm too old, a foreigner, and in general not appropriate for an idol) but I would love to be some kind of staff. So if you can tell me a little more, I would really appreciate it, and if it's too private, sending me a message is fine too

Anyways, has anyone ever tried to get a job at AKB48 cafe? I don't know the procedure but I'm guessing it's more baito-type work, and maybe no audition? No idea if they'd take me, but I would totally do it for a part-time job when I go to study in Japan if there's a chance