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| AKB48 Team TP Announces Name Change to TPE48 (Photo: TPE48) |
Welcome back, TPE48 — and this time, it feels personal. After years of operating under the name AKB48 Team TP, the Taiwanese sister group has officially announced that it will return to its original name, TPE48 (Taipei48). The announcement was delivered directly to fans through an official statement and confirmed live on stage during the group’s RESET performance today, turning what could have been a simple rebrand into a genuinely emotional moment.
For long-time followers, the name TPE48 isn’t new at all. The group was first introduced as TPE48 back in February 2018 as the fourth international sister group of AKB48. However, the original agency later ran into serious financial trouble, leading to unpaid member salaries and mounting debt.
As a result, operations were shut down and the group was re-launched as AKB48 Team TP, with all members transferred under new management. Now, with trademark rights from the previous agency officially expired, the name TPE48 is finally making its return.
According to the management, this change is part of a broader long-term business strategy under Superball Inc, the company overseeing several overseas 48 groups.
Similar adjustments are already happening across the franchise, with AKB48 Team SH having rebranded to TSH48, and MNL48 also expected to follow suit.
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The goal appears to be clearer identity ownership and a more unified naming system across regions.
The transition will happen in stages. The official AKB48 Team TP website is scheduled to temporarily close from 19 January at 00.10 local time to allow for system and branding updates.
The name TPE48 will officially come into effect on 21 January 2026, alongside the launch of a newly updated official website.
Along with the name change, the group is also refreshing its visual identity.
AKB48 Team TP 更名公告
— TPE48 (@official_TPE48) January 18, 2026
致一直支持 AKB48 Team TP 的粉絲朋友及媒體朋友們：
在此誠摯地向各位報告，AKB48 Team TP 將按照下列內容進行更名：
新團體名稱：TPE48
現有官方網站定於 1月19日 00:10關閉進行調整。 pic.twitter.com/88QRjTSTfO
The new TPE48 logo will adopt the same design language used by TSH48, featuring a clean white base with orange text and lines. Management says the updated look is meant to symbolise renewal while still honouring the group’s journey so far.
Among the current lineup, several members have been part of the group since the original TPE48 era and remain active today.
These include Chang Yu-lin, Lau Hiu-ching, Lin Yu-hsin, Lin Yi-yun, Tsai Ya-en, and Tsai Yi-jou — names that many fans associate strongly with the group’s resilience through multiple transitions.
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Online reactions have been mixed but lively. Long-time fans have welcomed the move with nostalgia, calling it a “homecoming” and praising the return to the name that started it all.
Others are cautiously optimistic, hoping the rebrand will come with stronger promotions, more stable management, and clearer direction for the group’s future.
Some netizens also pointed out the logo similarities between the renamed groups, sparking discussions about whether this unified branding will help or dilute each group’s individuality.
In its closing statement, management thanked fans for their continued support from the very beginning, acknowledging that the group’s journey has never been smooth, but always shared closely with its supporters. A familiar name, refreshed identity, and a symbolic reset heading into 2026, TPE48 is positioning itself for a new phase — one that blends history with a forward-looking mindset.
Now it’s over to the fans. Do you see this as the right move for the group, or are you still attached to the Team TP era?