Atsuko Maeda holds her book.

1,500 fans turn up for AKB48 singer's photo book launch

Monday 26th January, 11:03 AM JST

TOKYO —

Atsuko Maeda, 17, a member of idol group AKB48, on Sunday held an event to introduce her first “gravure” photo book at Fukuya-shoten book shop in Ginza. More than 1,500 fans turned up to greet Maeda. Maeda, who posed for the bikini shots in Phuket, Thailand, said, “The theme is ‘vulnerable’, not ‘sexy.’”

Naturally, talk turned to romance. Asked if she has any plans to give chocolates to someone special for Valentine’s Day, Maeda said, “This year I will make chocolates for our producer Yasushi Akimoto and other members of AKB48.”

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Latest 15 of 18 Total Comments Show All

Nessie at 01:53 PM JST - 26th January

Naturally, talk turned to romance. Asked if she has any plans to give chocolates to someone special for Valentine’s Day, Maeda said, “This year I will make chocolates for our producer Yasushi Akimoto and other members of AKB48.”

Sounds like a party.
herefornow at 02:12 PM JST - 26th January

Can someone define for me what exactly an "idol group" is? Does that mean, as I supsect, that they are all pretty and dress cool, but have no real talent?
saborichan at 02:40 PM JST - 26th January

Entirely idle, I'm sure.

Meanwhile, does anyone else find the Japanese trend for submissive, vulnerable women at all sexy? I can't get my head around it. I've seen a few channels in the odd love hotel I've stayed in, and every woman they show seems to be in agony. What's the deal with that?

Does anyone else think this kind of depiction of women is not helping the women's movement as equal partners?
saborichan at 02:42 PM JST - 26th January

And reading over that, I don't mean skin magazines being bad for gender equality - I mean depictions that insist on having models appear alternately clueless, scared, vulnerable, weak, etc.
saborichan at 02:42 PM JST - 26th January

And, christ, she's 17. Is that even legal?
seggahme at 05:46 PM JST - 26th January

want more news like this
Crokk at 09:45 PM JST - 26th January

to saborichan: yes, there are also 11yo old photobook; i saw them in some akihabara shops and, but I am not sure, you could find it with younger girls...

Anyway as moderator once told... this is the entertainment section (and I like Maeda, even if she is not my #1 in AKB48 teams..)
airrunwesker at 12:58 AM JST - 27th January

Is it so wrong for a 35 year old man to want to buy this?
Crokk at 01:49 AM JST - 27th January

Is it so wrong for a 35 year old man to want to buy this?

Not at all (in my humble opinion)
soldave at 09:22 AM JST - 27th January

saborichan - did you see the guys those girls were co-starring with on the love hotel TV channels? You'd be making faces too!
soldave at 09:23 AM JST - 27th January

airrunwesker - I think the target market was males 5-15 years older than you.
Macfrenzy at 12:04 PM JST - 27th January

She is so beautiful.
cjapan at 05:37 PM JST - 27th January

Maeda, who posed for the bikini shots in Phuket, Thailand, said, “The theme is ‘vulnerable’, not ‘sexy.’”

Hmm...Thailand...and Vulnerable...come on.
airrunwesker at 06:31 AM JST - 28th January

If I am not mistaken, she was the 1st memeber of AKB48! And the one who is still in charge!
seggahme at 09:54 PM JST - 29th January

great photobook, sime photos are weird, but it's all photographer's mistakes. Atsuko-san gorgeous!