JAPAN TODAY
 
The AKB48 Theater in Tokyo’s Akihabara district this week celebrated 4,000 performances by the megapopular all-girl idol group. The theater also welcomed its 1 millionth visitor since it opened on Dec 8, 2005, NTV reported Thursday.
 
The theater, which has 250 seats, has held performances almost everyday, with a total of 3,617 AKB48 performances up until Wednesday. Including the performances of AKB48’s visiting sister groups, in nearly 9 years and 3 months, the theater has held over 4,000 performances in total—a far cry from the very first show that drew only seven fans.
 
The 1 millionth guest was a 19-year-old college student from Osaka. After receiving the “AKB Lifetime Free Pass Ticket” from Yui Yokoyama, the captain of Team K and next in line to be the “General Director” of the group, he gushed: “Now every time I come to Tokyo, I will come to the theater.”
 
During the performance, Yokoyama broke the “kusudama” (a golden ball that holds a decorative message banner), and said, “In order to reach the 2 million and 3 million mark, we’ll combine our power and do our best.”