entertainment

AKB48 recruiting part-timers for Y1,000 per hour

47 Comments

Megapopular all-girl idol group AKB48 is recruiting part-time new members. The new recruits will be paid 1,000 yen an hour and participate in events such as live concerts, hand-shaking with fans, as well as appear in TV programs and commercials.

The "Baito AKB" (AKB part-time job) project, run by AKB48 management company AKS, is targeted at girls in junior high school or older, Nikkan Sports reported Monday. They will be recruited through the job search site Baitoru. Candidates will undergo a preliminary screening, followed by two auditions.

The winners, who will be named in September, will sign a part-time contract with AKS.

A new TV commercial (see below) advertising the program began airing on Monday. In the commercial, Mayu Watanabe, Rino Sashihara, Yuki Kashiwagi, Jurina Matsui, Rena Matsui, Aya Yamamoto and Haruka Shimazaki appear.

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47 Comments
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Almost like working in a konbini except you burn more calories......

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I wonder how much the full-time members get? 2,000 yen per hour? Generally Japanese talento are controlled tightly by their management companies who get the lion share of the wealth.

8 ( +10 / -2 )

give them atleast Y1,080 per hr. :(

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Are you saying there's not enough AKB members already?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

OK, sign me up. Looks like they need some contrasting elements.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

@375sensei: give us some examples, real facts please.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Is AKB48 cost cutting by outsourcing to part-time "contractors?" Sounds like a new way to max out the profits and not pay workers expensive benefits such as holiday days, overtime, bonuses, and health care. High time for the members to unionize.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

The Shuka Bunshun reported members monthly earning is only 1,200 USD. A former member of the AKB talent agency was quoted as saying: "“Though I can’t reveal a precise number, it’s to be expected if they’re that young, they only earn as much as normal office ladies do, or even less than them.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

"...participate in events such as live concerts, hand-shaking with fans..."

Is this the result of the recent incident where the fan attacked and slashed the AKB member with a razor at the hand shaking event? So this may be a way to prevent the 'premium' AKB girls from getting sliced/mauled/groped yet still allow a bunch of scuzzy, desperate, potentially dangerous yet financially supportive fans to touch an under-aged girl. Is this really worth 1000yen?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It is pretty insane how little they make, given the obvious revenue machine the group is. I`m guessing the more famous ones make a lot more money but the majority must get nothing.

Mind you, assuming they at least have a shot at making the big time, it might not be so bad - kind of like the way minor league baseball players don`t make much money but do it for the shot at making it big.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In terms of how much profit the AKB48 Co Inc. rakes in, this is 'slave wages'. Shame on them!!!

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Ha ha, show business managers not know for their sense of shame. It's dog eat dog.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Everybody can't start at the top with a corner office and a key to the executive rest room. Work ethics and experience are learned on the job down in the pits doing honest work for a days wages. These are things you can't get from the Apple store on an app.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

I'm not interested in AKB, but this seems like a pretty clever way for this company to promote their part time job site. More imaginative than just a regular TV commercial, and it gives a bunch of regular people a chance to live the dream.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

wow talk about being stingy, but then again when youve got 1000s of girls lining up to be part of a group you can charge whatever you want, youd get plenty of girls whod do it for free!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The sooner Japan is rid of exploitative companies such as AKS, the better.

Making billions of yen off sexing up teenage girls for the pleasure of mostly middle-age men - now at the cost of 1,000 yen/hour - is disgusting.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

1000yen per hour sounds about right for the cack that they produce.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

How many more can they actually employ? They already have literally hundreds working for them.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

To think my last job offered me that much....per hour.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

That's about what Japanese are paid in Australia $10 AUD per hour when everyone else earns 2-3 times that amount for doing similar work, I cant believe employers get away with it. It seems minimum wage rules are ignored everywhere. "A case of well there are plenty of other people who are willing to work for less see you later". Casual employees should get paid extra to make up for not receiving annual leave, personal (sick) leave and notice of termination. This payment is called casual loading and is supposed to be paid on top of the base pay rate that is normally paid to full-time employees. It is simple exploitation of the young. AKB management should be ashamed of them selves.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

From what I saw in Hello Work offices, ¥1000 is still more than what people get paid for sweeping floors and guiding traffic around parking lot exits. I think ¥750/hr is the lowest I've seen - jobs for high school kids who want to make some money for... say... AKB concert tickets.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

1,000 yen an hour

Outrageous. This is a sweat shop wage. Are they a slave owner?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

I have been saying this about this awful business for a long time and always get attacked by i guess fans of this trash. Fans who believe thye girls make millions, choose to and make apearances and do things for charity etc.. They have zero control and it is indeed modern day slavery.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

1,000 yen/hour plus you get to be close to Yuki Kashiwagi? Yowza!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In the UK there wage is about £5.50, Jeees thats poor! just remind me how much did AKB 48 machine make last year? thats right $220 million dollars. I think they need to get there hands in there pockets a bit more!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Brian the minimum wage was raised to £6.34 recently. 749 yen is the minimum wage in Japan - also raised just recently, but still 1000 yen isn't a lot either.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Never join any group where the revenue is split between 48 members. You'll be left fighting for scraps.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Okinawa minimum wage is about 630yen...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The entrepreneurs here should start their own 1000 member tribute girl group, write rubbish words , add Do Re Mi Fa to gibberish generator, sack any member who shows any signs of intelligence and wants more money above 300yen an hour

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I already have a good income and I won't mind an extra 1000 yen, plus I've always wanted to take part in the Entertainment business. However, there is one problem. You can't be older than 18.

Well, that's too bad.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@Harry_Gatto

@375sensei: give us some examples, real facts please.

375sensei is on the money (pun intended). This is no secret in Japan. TV stars are here paid a "salary", like a regular company employee. It's the plethora of middle-men / women and top-tier executives that take most of the appearance fees & other related royalty earnings. Same goes for the music business. If you've been in Japan long enough, you'd know that this rings true in most industries here.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

AKB48 recruiting part-timers for Y1,000 per hour

That's about the same as an English teacher. I might apply.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

know I understand why there is no rhythm in the Dance steps of these girls, look job and artistic stuff are two different worlds. will i am quite right while saying this, ask the dance exports from around the world and the AKB Girls will be miserably fail. just go around the country and search for real talent and then just polish that talent. it will always remain average no matter how much training you give to an average person.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Seems like the part timers are like minor leaguers waiting to be call up to the big league! Steady supply of young girls cash flow!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Never understood anyone who likes this group. It's even more manufactured than K-pop.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Consider it a paid inturnship. Lots of experience singing and dancing and shaking hands. They may get to rub noses with a few of the real AKB girls too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Partime wages where I am are about 750 yen, cleaning and working in shops and most students for instance are keen to accept them for extra spending money. This job has massive prestige and with the dancing and all the adoration, may even be fun.

The way in which fame is being democratised is commendable too; rather than being focused on a few stars, so many more people can participate syncronously due to this part time idolatory, and asynchronously due to induction and "graduation".

I would encourage my daughter to apply if she were old enough.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

They have zero control and it is indeed modern day slavery.

There is real slavery in the world most notably in Western Africa. Slaves are people that are involuntarily forced to work for no pay and under the threat of violence. Do you seriously want to compare part time idols to slaves? They are more accurately described as apprentices or interns. They freely volunteer to take the job and can quit at any time. Doesn't sound all that horrible to me.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@Wolfpack

Modern day slavery does not have to mean those forced to work for no pay or fear of violence. The term is used for many other things not just African slavery. It can also mean very poor working conditions and low pay such as the working conditions of these young ladies.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Readers, please stay on topic. This is not about slavery.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This just seems wrong & highly exploitive, thank goodness I don't have a daughter that wud be interested in this crap!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Yes Moderator, this is not about slavery. It is about people voluntarily making a choice to pursue their own interests in life. I may or may not like the idol business in Japan or the Broadway dance business in New York but I do not see anything wrong with young people who are focused on a goal striving to achieve it.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

What a great idea to create more hype! It will make the girls even more looked up to, and give girls the dream of being an AKB48 more reachable than it was before! I hope that the girls who are picked get the taste of showbiz and wish to continue! There are so many diamonds out there just waiting to be uncovered!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Their pay probably isn't that much lower than the run of the mill members, but at least they get limited hours.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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