AKB48 (pronounced A.K.B. Forty-Eight | phonetics : ə keɪ biː ˈfɔːti eɪt) are a Japanese idol group named after the Akihabara (Akiba for short) area in Tokyo, where the group's theater is located. AKB48's producer, Yasushi Akimoto, wanted to form a girl group with its own theater and performing daily so fans could always see them live (which is not the case with usual pop groups giving occasional concerts and seen on television). This "idols you can meet" concept includes teams which can rotate performances and perform simultaneously at several events and "handshake" events, where fans can meet group members. Akimoto has expanded the AKB48 concept to several girl groups in China, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines, and Vietnam.