"JKT48" has auditioned its members and 28 members determined at Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia on November 2nd. "JKT48 is the first oversea sister group of Japanese popular girl idol group, "AKB48", and going to work around Jakarta. Mr. Yasushi Akimoto, a songwriter who produced AKB48, arrived in Jakarta and joined the audition.
Mr. Akimoto gave an interview after the audition shows confidence as "carried out audition today, I'm sure that JKT48 will success, although there were various differences, such as culture and language. Japan is at very hard time after the great earthquake, so I hope that a JKT48 member's smiling face gets across also to Japan. I believed that JKT48 becomes one bridge between Indonesia and Japan."
JKT48 was looking for its member from women living in Indonesia.
According to the management company, there are about 1200 applications and inquiries and it was narrowed down to 51 candidates by documents examination and interview.
At the last audition, dance and sing examinations were performed. Ms. Reina Nozawa, a Japanese girl living in Jakarta was also chosen. Member's age is 12-21 years old.
http://www.jiji.com/jc/c?g=soc_30&k=2011110200480&rel=y&g=int
