AKB48’s first international sister group is born in Jakarta, Indonesia!  

AKB48, the popular idol group, announced on September 11th at the handshake meeting of the theatrical release of their new song, "Flying Get," held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, that JKT48, their first non-Japanese sister group, will debut in the end of the year. Their producer will be AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, who intends to stick to the concept of "idols you can meet in person."

The plan calls for carrying out auditions of applicants residing in Indonesia and aiming for a year-end debut. This earnest overseas foray comes amid the accelerating launches of sister groups in Japan: AKB48 and SDN48 in Akihabara, Tokyo; SKE48 in Sakae, Nagoya; NMB48 in Namba, Osaka; and HT48 in Hakata, Fukuoka.

To date, AKB48 has staged performances in various cities around the world, including New York, Los Angeles, Cannes, Paris, Moscow, Macao, Korea, and Taiwan. Since this May, they have also started to perform in Singapore on a regular basis, marking their first periodic performances overseas. In addition, amid rising popularity particularly in Asia, they aim to accelerate their entry into other areas abroad, in addition to Jakarta.

The first recruits of JKT48 will be announced in the middle of October and will go on to receive lessons, prior to their slated year-end debut. Concerned parties are determined to see the new sister group reflect the AKB48 concept, while also developing them into a unique idol group in tune with Indonesian culture.

Nippop News : AKB48's sister group in Jakarta