Draft:LYW48

LYW48 (pronounced L.Y.W. Forty-Eight) is an unofficial sister group of AKB48, based in Little Yoshiwara (with LYW standing for Little Yoshiwara), a virtual town and community in Second Life. The group debuted in July 2022 at the Little Yoshiwara Yokai Party, where its six founding members—Mimiko, Tsukihana (now Satoha), Miyoko, Akane, Rose, and Cherrie—performed a mini-concert on stage as the official J-Pop group of Little Yoshiwara. Since then, they have regularly performed at festive events and in their maid café, located in Little Yoshiwara. For the latest schedule, please check their maid café in-world.

Concept

LYW48 was founded as a musical idol group to promote J-pop culture and provide a J-pop entertainment experience in Little Yoshiwara. Since the town of Little Yoshiwara is set in the Edo period of Japan, the maid cafe is located on a sky platform above the town to avoid a conflict with the historical setting. While the Little Yoshiwara community has been promoting traditional Japanese culture for over a decade through services such as geisha ozashiki (geisha banquets), sumo competitions, Kabuki/Noh plays, sword fighting, and traditional Japanese festivals, they acknowledge the growing popularity of Japanese pop culture.

LYW48 seeks to emulate AKB48 as closely as possible on Second Life, including their uniforms, rules, songs, styles, and practices. The group aspires to be one of the top pop idol groups in Second Life.

History

Forming and debut

Around mid-2022, a small group of Little Yoshiwara geisha came up with the idea to perform a J-pop dance show during the annual Little Yoshiwara Summer Festival, which was set to take place from 15–17 July 2022. Initially, they planned to perform at Little Yoshiwara's kabuki theater but later changed the venue to the Little Yoshiwara Yokai Party, held on July 15 as part of the festival, marking their debut performance.

The idea originated from three junior geisha—Miyoko, Mimiko, and Tsukihana—who then invited others to join after receiving approval from Miyuki, the town head of Little Yoshiwara. Shortly after, they were joined by Akane, a visitor, Rose, a regular patron of Little Yoshiwara, and Cherrie, a geisha from Kyoto (Komayaka okiya, Miyagawacho Hanamachi, Second Life). Together, they became the six founding members of LYW48, with Mimiko (Yuna Namori) serving as the group’s captain and manager.

The mockup maid cafe

They never anticipated they would establish a maid cafe until the idea was proposed by Miyoko, who was the most knowledgeable about J-pop culture among the members, about a month later. However, they were uncertain whether the cafe would succeed, as it was a new concept for Little Yoshiwara and didn’t quite fit the Edo-period environment. To test the waters, Miyoko set up a mockup cafe in her own house in Little Yoshiwara. In September 2022, they invited selected patrons to the first opening of the maid cafe at Miyoko’s house. Despite the improvised serving equipment, the experience received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both the patrons and the members. Encouraged by the success, they hosted a second cafe opening at the same place for another small group of patrons. With the event proving to be just as enjoyable, they decided to find a parcel to build a proper cafe and make it official.

The first maid cafe

As the manager, Mimiko began searching for a parcel to build the maid cafe. Aware that a modern building would clash with Little Yoshiwara’s Edo-period theme, she looked for a location outside the town. However, she was hesitant to invest in renting a parcel, knowing it would take time for the cafe and the group to build a fanbase and earn enough tips to sustain itself. She then approached Otterax, a long-time friend and patron of Little Yoshiwara, who was interested in acquiring a large parcel adjacent to the town. He offered part of the parcel for LYW48 to build the cafe, but after surveying the land, Mimiko declined. The only access to the parcel was through the town’s graveyard, making it inconvenient.

Mimiko then approached Miyuki, the town head, requesting space on the existing sky platform above the town, where Little Yoshiwara Airport was located. Since the platform was already used for modern purposes and wouldn’t disrupt the Edo aesthetic, the request was approved.

Mimiko built the first maid cafe on the sky platform using her old house and furniture, as she was still cautious about investing money with the cafe’s future uncertain. Despite this, the cafe turned out to be charming and cozy, featuring a large garden in front and a soccer field to the left. The grand opening took place in on 16 July 2023, with many guests and patrons in attendance.

The first cafe served patrons until Sunday, July 7, 2024, when a farewell party was held before it was dismantled to make way for a new cafe at the same location. Over its two years, the cafe hosted numerous Little Yoshiwara festive events, including New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and Christmas, along with countless regular cafe openings.

The second cafe

During the one year of running the first cafe, Mimiko witnessed tremendous support from patrons. She decided it was time to create the cafe she had envisioned from the beginning, without the limitations of using recycled furniture. This time, the cafe would finally look as it should and properly represent LYW48.

As of September 2024, construction of the second cafe is still in progress. The new building is significantly larger than the original, and it will include the LYW48 Shop and Gallery on the second floor above the cafe. The color theme of the cafe is modern pink and white, matching the LYW48 logo. The grand opening of the second cafe is expected in late September or early October 2024.

Members Management & Administration

LYW48 is owned by Little Yoshiwara and managed by Miyuki, the CEO, who authorizes and approves requests proposed by Mimiko, the manager and captain responsible for running daily operations. The group has clear and well-written rules and codes of conduct for members to follow, ensuring high standards, a positive image, and a strong reputation. All member candidates must agree to these rules before joining the group. Additionally, the group has established operating procedures for the maids, similar to those in a five-star restaurant. All maids must undergo training and pass a final exam before being certified to serve in the cafe.

Once an application is accepted, a new member becomes a trainee and undergoes a series of training sessions for the first few weeks or months, depending on their attendance. After obtaining the cafe certificate, they become a junior member. However, members who are also geisha of Little Yoshiwara are designated as senior members. The senior member rank is reserved for Little Yoshiwara geisha only, as they are staff members with basic administrative powers, such as the ability to eject unwanted individuals, and are expected to take charge in the manager’s or captain’s absence.

Members are not paid but are entitled to receive equal shares of tips after a 10% tax imposed by Little Yoshiwara. All equipment and tools needed for work in the cafe, such as serving HUDs, food items, animations, and gestures, are provided free of charge. Uniforms are paid for by the members, but they typically earn enough in tips to cover the cost. Interest-free loans are also available if needed for purchasing uniforms.

Members are encouraged to participate in decision-making by sharing their opinions and ideas. Mimiko values and seeks out suggestions from the members. They treat each other like sisters or best friends and maintain close communication via the LYW48 members' Discord server.

Members

1st Generation

Mimiko Yuna Namori - Captain & Manager (Active)

Satoha Nakamura (old name Tsukihana) - Captain (Active)

Rose Delafleur - Choreographer (Active)

Akane - Junior Member (Graduated)

Freya (old name Cherrie) - Junior Member (Inactive)

Miyoko Dismantled - Senior Member (Inactive)

2nd Generation

Hitomi Tamatzui - Junior Member (Active)

Blythe Yeoubi - Junior Member (Active)

Tsukiko - Junior Member (Active)

Miharu - Senior Member (Inactive)

Tata Kitten - Trainee (Inactive)

Toshichiyo - Junior Member (Graduated)

Members of the Year

2022

Rose Delafleur

2023

Blythe Yeoubi

Recruitment

The group is always looking for new members. An application form is available at the cafe, or you can contact Mimiko Yuna Namori directly for assistance.

Business Partners/Sponsors

LYW48 welcomes sponsors and business partners. For discussions and inquiries, please reach out to Mimiko Yuna Namori directly.

Current business partners

Hinode store (Ayumi Takahashi)

Engawa store (Mari)

Geigi store (Toshichiyo)