Yuki Kashiwagi – known as Yukirin to her fans – is one of J-idol supergroup AKB48′s newly debuted acts.

She auditioned for the AKB family in Dec. 2006, and is now captain of Team B (out of Teams A, K and B). She’s also a member of AKB48 sub-group French Kiss. Kashiwagi could have taken a parallel path (although worlds apart) when she took part in one of the J-music scene’s other major idol unit Morning Musume’s eighth generation audition – she made it to the third round before being cut.

Her first gig at the AKB48 theater as a Team B member was in Apr. 2007. Over the years she’s been moving up the AKB ranks; she came in ninth place in the member elections in the run-up to the release of the single “Iiwake Maybe,” and was made captain of Team B in Aug. 2009.

In 2010, she joined French Kiss, and during the AKB48 third general election in 2011, she was ranked third place by popular votes, after Yuko Oshima and Atsuko Maeda.

Her debut single as a solo artist, “Shortcake,” came in at number two in the Oricon charts – not bad for someone who’s so used to having tens of girls supporting her on the stage and in the studio.

■Artist official site:
http://www.akb48.co.jp/about/members/detail.php?name=kashiwagi_yuki