Nogizaka46 Photobook Tops Oricon

Nogizaka46 member Sakura Kawasaki’s first photobook has climbed to No. 1 on Oricon’s weekly Book ranking after selling 77,000 copies in its first week. (realsound.jp) Real Sound, citing Oricon’s April 27, 2026 chart, said *Etude* led the weekly Book ranking on sales counted from April 13 through April 19. The book was released by Shinchosha on April 14 at a list price of 2,855 yen. (realsound.jp; nogizaka46.com) Kawasaki, 22, is a fifth-generation member of Nogizaka46, and the 176-page A4 photobook was shot in Nice and Paris by photographer Takaharu Sue. Shinchosha said the release was designed around four covers, including store-exclusive editions for Rakuten Books, Seven Net Shopping and Sony Music Shop. (prtimes.jp; nogizaka46.com) In Japan’s idol business, solo photobooks remain a distinct physical product: a premium-format book sold through bookstores, chains and fan retailers, often with retailer-specific covers and bonus items. Nogizaka46’s official site listed 21 store benefits for *Etude*, including 18 postcards and three B3 posters tied to different outlets. (nogizaka46.com) That sales model was expanded again in the run-up to release. Oricon reported that buyers could enter a lottery for 1,028 prizes, including a newly shot “another-cut” mini-book for 1,000 winners, a signed B0 poster, French souvenirs selected by Kawasaki and signed instant photos. (oricon.co.jp) The book also fits a familiar Sakamichi Series pattern, where a first solo photobook is treated as a milestone for members moving deeper into front-line activity. Shinchosha’s profile notes Kawasaki joined Nogizaka46 in 2022, entered a title-track senbatsu lineup in 2023 and has continued in selected-member activities since then. (prtimes.jp) The imagery leaned on both travel and biography. Shinchosha said the France shoot mixed Paris and Nice location work with references to Kawasaki’s skating background, including a cover image taken at a Paris skating rink. (prtimes.jp) Oricon’s own weekly photobook chart for the prior week showed how concentrated the market can be: the No. 1 title for April 6 to April 12 sold 1,956 copies. Kawasaki’s 77,000-copy opening on the broader Book chart puts *Etude* in a different sales tier from most weekly photobook releases. (oricon.co.jp; realsound.jp) For Nogizaka46, the result keeps a long-running photobook pipeline moving. For bookstores and publishers, it is another week in which a physical idol release — backed by covers, bonuses and fan buying power — still produced a chart-topping print launch. (realsound.jp; nogizaka46.com)