AKB48 Rumored to Limit Gravure-type Outfits for Underage Members

Source: AKB48 - Pontail to Shushu MV

For some, it’s hard to think of AKB48 without thinking of their iconic music video for “Heavy Rotation”, which at the time of this writing has 140 million views on YouTube alone. The video shows the members of the time wearing lingerie in a slumber party setting. There’s also the yearly music videos taken on beaches with the members in bikinis such as “Everyday Kachuusha” and “Ponytail to Shushu”. But now the rumor is that AKB48 will be limiting these types of outfits for their younger members, at least as far as gravure goes. 

According to the Nikkan Cyzo web magazine, an anonymous source in the publishing industry has claimed that AKB48 will stop bikini gravure photos for all members 18 and under. Younger members will be wearing swimsuits with “low skin exposure” if the picture is of all the members in swimwear.
 
It is also rumored that increasing foreign recognition is a factor in this decision, as there is a worry that foreign media will label the gravure as “child pornography”. The possibility of AKB48 being involved in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo would bring them even more into the international public eye.
 
This change seems to only be affecting AKB48, as many other prominent idol management groups in Japan still have bikini gravure of members under the age of 18 in publication, including AVEX and Hello!Project.
 
-marisuga

Source: http://www.cyzo.com/2017/12/post_146322_entry.html