NGT48

NGT48 (short for Niigata48) is an all-female Japanese idol group produced by Akimoto Yasushi. It will be the fourth currently active domestic sister group of AKB48. The 1st generation audition application period will start on April 10, 2015 and lasts until May 18, 2015. Girls between ages 11 and 23 are eligible to apply. NGT48 will have its own theater in Niigata, where performances will begin on October 1, 2015.

History
The creation of the group was announced at the end of AKB48 Request Hour 2015. Before the auditions for NGT48 began, two AKB48 members were given positions in the group. During the shuffle in March 2015, Kitahara Rie was transferred from AKB48 to NGT48. She was appointed as the captain of the entire group. Kashiwagi Yuki was announced to have a concurrent position in NGT48.

At January 10, 2016 it was announced NGT48 has formed their first Team, Team NIII. It was announced in first LIVE performance of NGT48 Theater. As of May 2019, Kashiwagi Yuki left her concurrent position with NGT48. As of May 2019, NGT48 is the only group to have dissolved the team system in place. (Team NIII and Team G) Many sponsorships and the city of Niigata have now cut ties with the group following the incidents of Yamaguchi Maho and others.