STU48 Announces First 2 Members: Theater Manager Rino Sashihara & Captain Nana Okada

STU48, the latest AKB48 sister group, has revealed who its first 2 members are.

On February 22, AKB48 held its weekly "All Night Nippon" broadcast. At the beginning of the program, AKB48 Team 4 Co-Captain Nana Okada announced that she will be holding a concurrent position with STU48. Her position with the group will be as its captain.

Following the announcement, HKT48 Theater Manager Rino Sashihara will also be holding a concurrent position with STU48. She serves as STU48's Theater Manager as well.

STU48 held auditions in January to join the group. Selections are currently being made to determine who will be the group's 1st generation member.

STU48 sets itself apart from other sister group by being the first group not based at a city. Instead, the group is based in Seto Inland Sea. The body of water is a major part of Japan's geography, connecting the Pacific Ocean with the Sea of Japan. It also has several major cities such as Osaka and Hiroshima along its coastline.