, formerly , is a Japanese

talent agency A talent agency is a company that represents actors, authors, musicians, model (person), models, professional athlete, athletes, writers, dancers, and other professionals in various industries. Talent agencies specialize, either by creating dep ...

headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is involved in various entertainment-related industries, including music, film and merchandise production.

History

AKS has managed the Japanese idol groups

AKB48 AKB48 (pronounced ''A.K.B. Forty-Eight'') is a Japanese idol musical girl group named after the Akihabara area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48 has sold more records than any other female musical act in Japanese history. AK ...

SKE48 SKE48 (S.K.E. Forty-eight) is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. SKE48 is named after the Sakae, Nagoya, Sakae district in Nagoya of Aichi Prefecture, where the group is based. The group performs at SKE48 Theater on 2F of Sunshi ...

NMB48 NMB48 (read "N.M.B. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group that debuted in 2011 as the second sister group to AKB48, produced by Yasushi Akimoto. NMB48 is named after the Namba district in Osaka city of Osaka Prefecture, where the group is based ...

HKT48 HKT48 (read "H.K.T. Forty-eight") is a Japanese idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. HKT48 is named after the Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Hakata-ku ward of Fukuoka, where Akimoto originally intended to base the group. The group currently performs at ...

, and NGT48, as well as the Japanese promotional activities of South Korean-Japanese idol group,

Iz*One Iz*One ( ; ; ; stylized in all caps) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet (TV channel), Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: Jang Won-young, Sakura Miyawaki, Jo Yu-r ...

. AKB48 employed a so-called "transfer system" for the first to tenth generation members, where members started out under AKS management, and should receive a contract offer from other artist management companies after a predetermined period. Members in the next generations would be managed directly by AKS, although they could still accept offers to transfer to other agencies. In 2016, ownership of NMB48 was transferred from Kyoraku Yoshimoto Holdings to AKS, putting all the 48 groups at the time under AKS's banner. In 2019, the talent agency KeyHolder acquired SKE48 and placed it under the management of its subsidiary SKE, Inc., renamed in June to Zest, Inc.; AKS received a 20% stake in the subsidiary. It was also announced that

Yasushi Akimoto is a Japanese record producer, lyricist, and television writer, best known for creating and producing some of Japan's top idol groups, Onyanko Club and the AKB48 franchise. Total sales of the singles he has written exceed 100 million copies, ma ...

is no longer part of AKS management, but still being involved as the creative producer. In June, NMB48 was sold back to Kyoraku Yoshimoto Holdings. In 2020, AKS was restructured into Vernalossom and transferred ownership of their three remaining Japanese idol groups to three independent business entities, while Vernalossom would retain control of the AKB48 sister groups outside Japan. AKB48 would be managed by DH, headed by Kazuki Uchimura, who is also the CEO of the AKB48 Group costume maker, Osare Company. HKT48 would be managed by Mercury and NGT48 by Flora, both of which are subsidiaries of the holding company Sproot, itself co-owned by

Line Corporation was a Japanese internet company. It was a subsidiary of Z Holdings, a joint venture between SoftBank Group and Naver Corporation. It was established in 2000 as the Japanese subsidiary of South Korean NHN Corporation's online game community si ...

, , and the advertising company Piala. In May, it was announced that KeyHolder has also bought out Vernalossom's subsidiary North River, Inc., a transportation company which also owned 50% of

Nogizaka46 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto, created as the "official rival" of the group AKB48. They are the first group from the Sakamichi Series, which also includes sister groups Sakurazaka46 (formerly Keyakizaka46), Yoshim ...

's management company. On 1 April 2023, it was announced on Vernalossom's homepage that all of the company's business operations would be transferred to a branch subsidiary company named Superball, effective from the same day.

Artists

Current artists

Units

JKT48 JKT48 ( pronounced J- K- T- 4 8 ) is Indonesia’s premier girl group, established in 2011 as the first international sister group of Japan’s AKB48. Based in Jakarta, which is the capital and largest city of Indonesia, located on the northw ...

BNK48 BNK48 (read ''B.N.K. Forty-eight'') is a Thai Teen idol, idol Musical ensemble, girl group and the third international sister group of Japan's AKB48, following Indonesia's JKT48 and China's SNH48 (''Former''). After holding its first audition i ...

* MNL48 *

AKB48 Team SH AKB48 Team SH (also known as 冲吧少女组合/Chong Ba Shaonu Zuhe) is a Chinese idol group based in Shanghai, China and an official sister group of the Japanese idol girl group AKB48. It was established in 2018 after the dissolution of AKB4 ...

AKB48 Team TP AKB48 Team TP, formerly known as TPE48, is a Taiwanese Chinese idol, idol group and the sixth international AKB48 Group, sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 (''former''), Thailand's BNK48, Philippines's MNL48, and Chin ...

CGM48 CGM48 (read ''C.G.M. Forty-eight'') is a Thai Teen idol, idol girl group. It is the first domestic sister group of the Thai idol group BNK48, and the eighth international AKB48 Group, sister group of AKB48, after Indonesia's JKT48, China's SNH48 ...

Talents

* Shekinah Arzaga (MNL48)

Former artists

(Transfer to DH, Co. Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Keyholder/ZEST, Co. Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Kyoraku Yoshimoto, Co. Ltd.) *

(Transfer to Mercury, Co. Ltd.) * NGT48 (Transfer to Flora, Co. Ltd.) *

SDN48 SDN48 (read ''S.D.N. Forty-Eight'', short for Saturday Night 48) was a Japanese idol girl group, created and produced by Yasushi Akimoto. SDN48 was created based on an "adult idol" concept. Former AKB48 member Kayo Noro was chosen as the captain ...

(2010–2012) *

IZ*ONE Iz*One ( ; ; ; stylized in all caps) was a South Korean–Japanese girl group formed through the Mnet (TV channel), Mnet reality competition show ''Produce 48''. The group was composed of twelve members: Jang Won-young, Sakura Miyawaki, Jo Yu-r ...

(2018–2021, co-managed by Off The Record) *

Sakura Miyawaki Sakura Miyawaki (born March 19, 1998), also known mononymously as Sakura, is a Japanese singer and actress based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Le Sserafim, and a former member of South Korean-Japanese girl group ...

(Transfer to A.M. Entertainment) *

Hitomi Honda is a Japanese singer and actress based in South Korea. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Say My Name, and former member of South Korean–Japanese project girl group Iz*One and Japanese girl group AKB48. Career 2012–2017: Early ...

(Transfer to DH, Co. Ltd.) * DEL48 (2019–2020) * SGO48 (2018–2021) * Nako Yabuki

References

Japanese companies established in 2006 Mass media companies established in 2006 Entertainment companies established in 2006 AKB48 Film production companies of Japan Japanese independent record labels Japanese talent agencies Mass media companies based in Tokyo Music companies of Japan Chiyoda, Tokyo {{Independent-record-label-stub