It can be a pathway to fame, as demonstrated by Japan's AKB48 band, one of the most successful acts of all time, who started in a small stage in Tokyo's Akihabara, with the youngest member aged 11.īut getting a foothold into the idol scene means the child has to interact with adult fans, taking photos together and autographing the backs of their t-shirts. Yamazaki, 26, herself played in a band as a teenager and sees her daughter's performances as a way into the popular and lucrative world of idols. What Ai is doing is not much different,' she says, despite the audience for idol shows being mainly adult males. In magazines, children are modelling clothes. 'On television, you see kids acting in dramas and commercials. Ai's mother, Mami Yamazaki, says her daughter has wanted to be an 'idol' singer since she watched an anime cartoon about young girls striving for stardom.
