The biggest event of the year for AKB48, the 48-member pop group that's the most popular music act in Japan today, arrives next Wednesday.
Thousands of fans are expected to fill the historic Nippon Budokan to watch, while Fuji TV will broadcast the three-hour show live. It should also attract a healthy overseas viewership, as theaters across Asia are set to screen it live. It's not a concert though — it's an election-results show.
The fourth annual AKB48 general election, going on now, concludes June 6 at the Budokan. For a pop group in love with spectacle — they boast a rock-paper-scissors tournament, music videos regularly clocking in at over 10 minutes and, oh yeah, 48 members — this display of pop democracy tops everything else they do. The official press release for the election says that the "Japanese media and level of general awareness of this event are almost on par with a real political election," which is frighteningly accurate. It's also one of the smartest marketing moves the people behind the group have ever made.