Japan pop fans go crazy for democracy

Winner of AKB48's 27th song selection, called the AKB48 General Election,Yuko Oshima of AKB48 (C-front) poses in a photo session with second-placer Mayu Watanabe of AKB48 (3rdR), third-placer Yuki Kashiwagi of AKB48 (3rd L) and other elected members after the event in Tokyo on June 6, 2012. Oshima won by 108,837-vote to get the centre-position of the next song. (Front L-R) 7th place Haruna Kojima, 5th place Mariko Shinoda, Kashiwagi, Oshima, Watanabe, 4th place Rino Sashihara and 6th place Minami Takahashi. (Rear L-R) 15th place Yui Yokoyama, 13th place Rie Kitahara, 11th place Sae Miyazawa, 8th place Tomomi Itano, 10th place Rena Matsui, 12th place Tomomi Kasai, 14th place Minami Minegishi and 16th place Ayaka Umeda. AFP/TOSHIFUMI KITAMURA

TOKYO – The election debate that raged across Japan for weeks has been settled, campaigners are packing up their things and TV pundits are moving on to different topics – all-girl group AKB48 has a new president.

Pictures of teary-eyed 23-year-old Yuko Oshima dominated Thursday’s newspapers after her victory in a popular ballot for the top spot in one of the world’s highest grossing acts.

Anyone was allowed to vote in the election – as long as they bought a copy of AKB48’s most recent single “Manatsu no Sounds Good!” (a mixture of Japanese and English that defies sensible translation, but has something to do with summer).

Hundreds of hours of television coverage culminated in a live special with millions tuning in nationwide to see Oshima crowned.

“You, my dear fans, have given water and light,” a teary-eyed Oshima told fans, comparing herself with a flower bud.

“A flower will wither someday. Please be my sunshine forever.”

With a 90-strong pool of girls in their teens and early 20s who are rotated in and out of the public eye based on their popularity, AKB48 is part pop act, part talent show.

The single and accompanying ballot paper, which had a list price of 1,600 yen ($20), shifted a record-breaking 1.17 million units the day it went on sale, with some fans reportedly buying multiple copies to boost the chances of their favorite candidate.

Oshima will now stand center stage and take a lead role in the wildly-popular group’s future musical offerings and performances.

Much of the group’s appeal lies in their being idols you can touch, with frequent opportunities for fans to meet them, chat with them or befriend them on social networking sites.

This strategy, combined with the bearing of much flesh, has given them a huge following among Japan’s often geeky salarymen.

“I am really happy about the result,” said Makoto Yoshida, a 35-year-old fan.

“I don’t think anyone but Yuko Oshima can lead AKB48. I love Yuko because she works hard and always does things to the best of her ability. That’s something I should learn from her.

“I love her smile, too,” he added shyly.

Wednesday’s election was sparked by the forthcoming “graduation” from AKB48 of 20-year-old Atsuko Maeda, who led the collective twice – her reign was interrupted by Oshima for a year.

Maeda’s tearful abdication earlier this year clears the way for her to pursue solo projects, possibly still under the careful guidance of Yasushi Akimoto, the mastermind behind the group.

Music critic and commentator on Japan’s entertainment industry Satoshi Hamano, said the notion of an election – while seemingly little more than a slick marketing trick – was borne of demands from fans.

“At the beginning Akimoto picked the main girls to perform on the stage from the pool of dozens of AKB members,” he said.

“Some fans complained and demanded they should be allowed to select who should be their idols.

“This general election sprang from the demands of the audience; it was a democratic movement against dictator Akimoto. It may sound wild, but the movement is comparable to the Arab Spring,” he told AFP.

Hyperbole notwithstanding, the group’s popularity is staggering, as is the merchandising industry it supports, encompassing everything from t-shirts to Top Trumps.

They are also advertising gold and have been involved in promotions for products as diverse as sweets and government bonds, while fronting a campaign aimed at reducing teenage suicide.

A commercial showing group members passing bite-sized candies seductively from mouth-to-mouth attracted a limited amount of criticism for “encouraging homosexuality”, but did no harm either to AKB48 or the confectionery company that commissioned it.

The video became a global Internet hit.

Critic Hamano said Wednesday’s election served as a proxy for democratic empowerment in a country largely run by older men.

“Japanese youth do not believe they can change real politics, where old politicians hold a tight grip on power, but they believe they can change AKB48,” he said.

“Fans of AKB48 believe they can take part in the process of making a real star, rather than simply accepting what the industry says is good.

“This is the Japanese version of the American dream.”