Sad news for fans of Japan’s top idol group, AKB48.
According to a message posted on their official blog, the AKB48 Cafe and Shop in Akihabara will shut down after December 31st, 2019. The cafe, which has been open since 2011, is closing because of planned renovations to the Akihabara Station area, which is where the cafe sits. The note says that the possibility of the cafe re-opening in a new location has been brought up but that it’s only a possibility at this point. This means that if you’re a megafan of the idol group and want to pick up some special AKB48 merch before the shop closes, you only have a few weeks left.
The good news is that the closure will not have any kind of effect on the AKB48 theater, which will still feature daily performances from the group. So, you can still get your fill of idols by watching them perform, you just won’t be able to fill your bellies with savory and sweet foods afterward.
AKB48 has existed since 2005 using the concept of “idols you can meet.” It’s hard to believe that back then, their very first concert (which only featured 24 members at the time) was performed in front of only seven people. While the original concept was to have a 48 member maximum (sixteen members for each of the three teams), the membership numbers have fluctuated wildly over the years with over a hundred members being signed to the group at one point in 2018. The group even got two seasons of their own sci-fi anime series, AKB0048, which featured nine different characters voiced by members of AKB48 and their sister groups.
However you feel about AKB48 or idols in general, they’ve become so interwoven with otaku culture in the modern era that it’s hard to imagine a world without them. I somehow doubt, however, that the closure of this one cafe will derail the group or remove those trademark smiles off their faces, particularly since it’s been revealed that they will participate in this year’s NHK Red and White Song Battle alongside anison performer LiSA (who will make her debut).
Source: SG Cafe
