A Change in Popularity? The Rise of a New Generation of Idols and a Decline in Youth Popularity
The “Saka-michi” groups produced by Akimoto Yasushi, including Nogizaka46, Sakurazaka46, and Hyuhizaka46, which have taken the world by storm, have been generating a “million buzz” on SNS, with posts pointing to a decline in their popularity among young people. The girls used to be the driving force behind youth trends, but videos of them being met with indifferent reactions from today’s junior high and high school students have been spreading, adding fuel to the argument that the group as a whole is in decline. [Image] “Playdates”…? This is 《Nogizaka46》 at the time of their debut! (6 images)
Not going against the current of the times… Will they follow the route of AKB?
The image spread on November 9, 2025, shows a scene in which a member of Nogizaka made a surprise visit to a certain high school as part of a TV program, and the students in the classroom showed no reaction at all and looked puzzled. This post received more than 50,000 likes, and a scathing repost quoting the same post, “It’s a relief to see that a playground group that does nothing but wear school uniforms and dance with nasal voices is becoming less popular among current high school students,” received more than 28,000 likes. The post received more than 28,000 likes, giving a glimpse of the public’s opinion. The producer of the Sakamichi group, Yasushi Akimoto, once made his mark on the Japanese idol scene with the AKB48 group. However, after its heyday, the AKB group could not avoid a wave of declining popularity. The AKB group, which had developed numerous sister groups in regional areas as “idols you can go to see” and created a national boom, could not withstand the “rise and fall” of changing trends, the graduation of members, and the rise of new rivals. The case of the AKB Group is often discussed in the context of the current situation of the Sakamichi Group. Just as AKB48 once experienced a national boom and then lost its popularity, the Sakamichi group is equally subject to the waves of major trends, such as cycles in youth culture and changing values. It is extremely difficult for any idol group to maintain its popularity if it does not continually bring in new winds and adapt to change.