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AKB48 Idol Group's Taiwan, Philippine, Thailand Spinoff Groups Announced
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The AKB48 idol group announced during their concert at the Kanagawa Stadium in Yokohama on Saturday that three spinoff idol groups will be launched in Taiwan, the Philippines, and Thailand. The Taiwan group will be based in Taipei and named TPE48. The Philippine group will be based in Manila and named MNL48. The Thailand group will be based in Bangkok and called BNK48.
AKB48 founder and producer Yasushi Akimoto has been planning a Manila-based spinoff group of AKB48 since early last year. AKB48's "Team 8" sub-unit performed in Manila last November, performing on the noontime variety show It's Showtime, and then performing live at Trinoma Mall in Quezon city on the same day.
Aside from the Japan-based spinoff groups SKE48 (Sakae), NMB48 (Namba), HKT48 (Fukuoka), and NGT48 (Niigata), and the "official" rival group Nogizaka46, the group also has the spinoff group SNH48, based in Shanghai, China, as well as JKT48, based in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Source: Music Natalie
