Yuki Kashiwagi as a Convenience Store Clerk

J-pop idol troupe AKB48 Team B captain YUKI KASHIWAGI dressed up as a Sankus convenience store clerk and appeared at the Rikkyo Dori store in the Ikebukuro district of Tokyo last week to promote her debut gravure DVD.  For your information, in addition to selling tons of yummy stuff and daily necessities, convenience stores in Japan stock plenty of gravure photobooks and DVDs.  The Kagoshima Prefecture native looks so cute doing a little cosplay action with that convenience store clerk shirt and looks even more righteous when she takes it off to reveal the pink dress she’s got on underneath.

As she helped customers Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木由紀) told reporters, “I love convenience stores and I go there everyday.  I’ve never had a part time job before so it’s cool I could get behind the cash register.”

See more of Yuki we’ve got here: AKB48 MEMBER YUKI KASHIWAGI ON SLEEPYJOHN.COM

AKB48 Yuki Kashiwagi’s First DVD

Cute as button J-pop super idol unit AKB48 member YUKI KASHIWAGI released her very first gravure DVD at the end of last month.  Shot on the tropical island of Guam last November, the title “This Has Been Yuki Kashiwagi Reporting” is a play off her role as a weather girl on Japanese TV station TBS’s Hiruobi.  The 18 year old Japanese teen has an angelic face and a porcelain lithe body.  As the captain of Team B within AKB48, Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木由紀) possesses a pretty voice too.

The U-19 (under 19) cutie also boasts having the top selling idol photobook in the year 2009 with over 15,000 copies sold.  I’m very confident she’ll do well with her debut DVD as well.

To see other photos we have of Yuki: AKB48 MEMBER YUKI KASHIWAGI ON SLEEPYJOHN.COM

AKB48 Yuki Kashiwagi’s First Photobook

Popular J-pop idol group AKB48 member Yuki Kashiwagi (柏木由紀) will have her own solo photobook out next Monday.  The 18 year old Kagoshima Prefecture native went to the Japanese southern islands of Okinawa for the photoshoot back in June.  Yuki, who belongs to Team B is usually known as the girl who brings rain to every AKB48 photoshoot.  But this time luck was on her side as there was no cloud in sight and the mission was completed without a hitch. 

The baby face U-19 Japanese singer idol claims, “You’ll see a lot of Yuki Kashiwagi that you don’t usually get to see!”  All I know is the typical AKB48 stage costumes wrap the girls pretty tight, but I saw a lot of boobs in these teaser pics.  If you want to meet Yuki in person and get her autograph you can go to Shosen Bookmart (書泉ブックマート) which is a skip and a hop away from Akihabara Station, located in the Jinbocho district of Tokyo on either the 11th or 18th of next month.

AKB48’s Yuki Kashiwagi Releases First Photobook

AKB48 Ultimate Top of Beauty Photobook Scans

Let’s wrap up our special series on UTB’s (Up To Boy) Ultimate Top of Beauty magazine scans with a bang with 4 lovely Japanese teen singers from the popular J-pop idol group AKB48!

First up we’ve got Aki Takajo (高城亜樹).  The 17 year old lists her home as Tokyo but was born in Fukuoka Prefecture.  She belongs to Team A of AKB48.  She’s proud of her tennis playing skills and her older sister who goes by the stage name Jui Kizuki (希月樹衣) is a gravure idol.

The super cute Risa Naruse (成瀬理沙) is an U-15 idol who belongs to Team K.  All the AKB48 fanboys were saddened when it was announced recently that she’s leaving AKB48 due to a recurring problem with a herniated disk.  Risa would like to be a fashion model someday.

Aki Takajo (R) and Risa Naruse (L)

Chisato Nakata (中田ちさと) is an 18 year old cutie from Saitama Prefecture.  The petite 5′1″ Team A member is a big fan of Japanese professional wrestling and loves to go on long walks.

Last but not least we’ve got Moeno Nito (仁藤萌乃) who’s a Tokyo native.  The 17 year old Team B member is often portrayed as a little cold and bitchy but it’s really because she is extremely shy.  Moeno recalls just a year ago she couldn’t dance at all when she first joined AKB48.

Chisato Nakata (R) and Moeno Nito (L)

Kana Kobayashi Ultimate Top of Beauty Photobook Scans

Why am I such a sucker for girls like Japanese teen singer idol Kana Kobayashi (小林香菜)?  The 19 year old might not be the prettiest face on J-pop idol troupe AKB48, but just one look at her big,  inncoent eyes and adorable, little sister next door face has got me melting!

I’m glad UTB / Up To Boy also included Kana in their special Ultimate Top of Beauty gravure collection.  The Saitama Prefecture native looks so cute I just want to pinch her soft cheeks and make her model in that yellow mini jumpsuit for me!

Atsuko Maeda Ultimate Top of Beauty Photobook Scans

AKB48’s Atsuko Maeda has made the cover of Up To Boy!

Let’s close out the work week with a huge spread of super adorable and talented Japanese teen idol singer Atsuko Maeda (前田敦子) in UTB / Up To Boy – Ultimate Top of Beauty gravure magazine scans.  The U-19 (under 19) Chiba Prefecture native just turned 18 a couple weeks ago.  Nicknamed “Acchan” (あっちゃん), you can also see the popular Japanese idol unit AKB48 first generation member and her big sparkling eyes acting in TV drama and movies.

Stick around…because we’re not done with the special series yet!

Rie Kitahara Ultimate Top of Beauty Photobook Scans

Continuation of our special series on Japanese gravure authority UTB (Up To Boy) – Ultimate Top of Beauty magazine scans.  Today we’ve got the cute and lovely J-pop idol group AKB48 member Rie Kitahara (北原里英).  Rie was promoted to Team A within AKB48 around this time last year.  The 18 year old Japanese teen has that girl next door look and carries herself well in public, always using properly spoken Japanese.

Japanese Idol Singer Minami Minegishi x Up To Boy

Lord have mercy! Could he have made Japanese idol Minami Minegishi (峯岸みなみ) any cuter?! The extremely popular U-15 (under 15) AKB48 Team A member is one of its original members. I don’t usually follow AKB48 but I can picture myself going to a concert of the popular Akihabara based Japanese pop idol group just to get a glimpse of this cutie pie!

Seriously, I think staring at those huge innocent eyes and her petite, cheeky face for more than a few seconds will lead to possible cardiac arrest! Japanese idol pimping machine Up To Boy (アップトゥボーイ) ran this spread of Mii-chan when she was still a junior high school student.

AKB48 Members To Graduate

It was announced this past Sunday that 5 girls from the popular Japanese pop idol unit AKB48 will soon end their activities with the group. The 5 AKB48 members who will “graduate” are Tomomi Ooe (大江朝美), Hitomi Komatani( 駒谷ひとみ), Hana Tojima (戸島花), Rina Nakanishi (中西里菜) and Risa Narita( 成田梨紗). Their final appearance will be at the concert held at NHK Hall in Shibuya on November 23rd.

Left – Tomomi Ooe, 19; Right – Hitomi Komatani, 19

The Japanese pop music industry often has a tendency to shuffle and reinvent personnel so this announcement was sort of expected. Especially since the 5 girls are part of the original members who formed the Akihabara based idol troupe when it was “only” 20 girls strong. But don’t feel down as these soon to be AKB48 alumni will still be around Japanese entertainment circle. For example, Rina Nakanishi is already active in another splinter unit called “Chocolove From AKB48″. And Hitomi Komatani has signed up with Japanese entertainment powerhouse Sun Music Production (サンミュージック).

Left – Hana Tojima, 20; Right – Rina Nakanishi, 20

Risa Narita, 17

Ayaka Kikuchi Pictures

Here are some random photos of the disgraced former AKB48 member Ayaka Kikuchi (菊地彩香).

Ayaka in a red shirt and white hoodie…taken from one of AKB48’s fan club DVDs.

AKB48 Member Ayaka Kikuchi Canned

Like many naive young girls who have fallen before her, Japanese idol Ayaka Kikuchi committed the cardinal sin of Japanese idol world by getting caught with a boy. And now she’s got to take the punishment.

Ayaka Kikuchi got the boot because of this “purikura”, or picture sticker. The writing says, “We’re always together these past 3 months.”

Ayaka Kikuchi (菊地彩香), B Team member of the popular Japanese idol group AKB48 finally got served her walking paper yesterday. AKB48’s official website didn’t give a clear explanation, only stating that “she had committed something that was unbecoming of an AKB48 member”. But it has been widely known that the 15 year old was caught having a romantic relationship with a boy, which is a huge no-no in Japan if you want to remain being an idol.

Nicknamed “Ayarin” (あやりん), the Tokyo native joined AKB48 in December of ‘06

Ayaka Kikuchi has been absent from all AKB48 activities since details and photos of the scandal were leaked on the internet late last month. All of her photos and information have been removed from the idol group’s website. Furthermore, AKB48’s official blog added the comment that the managing staff also feels a deep sense of responsibility and will provide “thorough education and guidance” to the girls’ lifestyle.

Poor Ayaka…all she wanted was some man meat to sooth her raging hormone

Mariko Shinoda Makes Gravure Debut

Popular Japanese idol group AKB48 member Mariko Shinoda (篠田麻里子) released her first photobook titled “Pendulum” yesterday. At the press conference this past Sunday the slender 22 year old from Fukuoka Prefecture in southern Japan said, “It’s kind of embarrassing to see myself appearing everywhere but I’m happy.”

At 168cm (5′6″), Mariko Shinoda is the tallest member of AKB48

AKB48 x Up To Boy

‘Morning fellas! Today I’ve got some AKB48 cuteness for ya. Next to Morning Musume, AKB48 is probably the most popular idol group in Japan. “AKB” is short for “Akiba” or Akihabara, the birthplace of the “moe” (萌え) movement and where most of the member were originally scouted.

3 young and lovely representatives from the Japanese idol group AKB48: Atsuko Maeda (L), Erena Ono (C), Mayu Watanabe (R)

Japanese gravure magazine Up To Boy (アップトゥボーイ) did a short spread on 3 girls from the 48 member idol group. Each girl was chosen to represent the sub unit she belongs to.

Atsuko Maeda (前田敦子), 16, is a first generation member and one of the most popular AKB48 girls among fans

Standing at just below 5 feet, the petite Erena Ono (小野恵令奈) often receives the lead role for Team K

Mayu Watanabe (渡辺麻友) belongs to Team B and has quickly risen through the ranks as a fan favorite