Cultural Hybridity in Japanese Idol Culture: A Study of AKB48 and Their Influence Across Asia

This article discusses the Japanese idol culture, specifically focusing on female idol group culture, which gained popularity in Japan starting in the 1980s and continued to spread across Asia after the millennium. AKB48, formed in 2005, introduced the "Idol you can meet" business model, establishing a leading position in Japanese idol culture. While academia has mostly explored AKB48's management methods, contemporary fandom culture, and analyzed their culture through sociology and gender theories, this text aims to examine AKB48's role in promoting Japanese idol culture as a soft power in various Asian countries under the "Cool Japan" cultural policy.

The article intends to analyze how AKB48 effectively introduced their new management model to a new market in countries like Indonesia, Thailand, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and India. It aims to study how sister groups in different regions respond to Japanese culture while incorporating their own local culture. The discussion will focus on how sister groups incorporate intangible cultural elements such as original music, language, dance, as well as tangible cultural aspects like traditional instruments, traditional clothing, and local cultural landmarks.

The article explores how sister groups in different regions establish a unique "Japanese style idol" within the rich tapestry of Japanese idol culture. It is a qualitative study primarily based on textual analysis of news reports, music videos, films, posters, interpreting and analyzing them to infer that AKB48's promotion of Cultural Hybridity in Asian countries is a key factor in their success abroad. With AKB48's 20th anniversary in 2025, the article also aims to supplement the unexplored aspects of AKB48's culture.