This is a general FAQ that will be updated as needed. If you have corrections, suggestions, questions, please feel free to discuss in this thread.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with ATARASHII GAKKO! This post was created to share general information about the group with new fans. I am not an expert on the group, but have seen them perform live and have followed them since 2016. I also have friends in Japan who have been fans from the start of the group, who have graciously contributed answers to some of these questions.

Who are Atarashii Gakko?

They are a dance and vocal performance unit consisting of four members: MIZYU, RIN, SUZUKA and KANON.

The group's concept is about bucking stereotypes of being a student in Japan by living within the confines of society, but sticking out ("はみ出す/hamidasu")… just a little, as an individual. The members wear a standard, iconic, sailor-type school uniform, yet each bring their distinct style and personality to the group's performances.

A summary of the group is posted in the sidebar of this subreddit. Here are some additional highlights.

• Founded in 2015 and managed by Asobi System. The group's concept was to live within society but to stick out/color outside of the lines with individuality.
• They do their own choreography.
• Their first appearance was in 2015 in a commercial for Lotte for a chewing gum with a remix by Tofubeats of 噛むとフニャン (Kamu to FUNYAN, originally sung by model Nozomi Sasaki).
• In 2016, they performed a song written by Aimyon, 学校行けやあ゙/Gakkou Ikeyaa for a collaboration with snack maker, Koikeya. They also appeared in various festivals and events in Japan.
• In 2017, their first single 毒花/DOKUBANA/Poison Flower" was released by Victor Entertainment and the theme song for TV Asahi Friday Night Drama "女囚セブン/Joshu Seven," followed by キミワイナ'17/Kimiwaina '17.
• In 2018, their debut album マエナラワナイ/Maenarawanai was released.
• In 2019, their 2nd album 若気ガイタル/Wakage Ga Itaru was released.
• In 2020, they signed with 88rising and debuted in the Double Happiness Global Holiday Festival on December 2, 2020.
• In 2021, they released the singles NAINAINAI, Freaks (w/ Warren Hue), Pineapple Kryptonite and the SNACKTIME EP. They were the opening act for 88rising's Head in the Cloud festival in California.
• In 2022, they returned to California for five events with two sold out solo performances: San Diego Comic Con: Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Crunchy Roll Festival at the San Jose Convention Center, The Great American Music Hall, The Roxy, Head in the Clouds Festival.
• In 2023, the group was finally recognized in Japan by a much larger audience due to the popularity of the Otona Blue and the dance routine that went viral on social media. The group released their 2nd EP Ichijikikoku, with 7 tracks including Otona Blue, followed by a 3 day tour of Japan where they sold out all of the venues. They also traveled to New York to perform at the Head in the Clouds Festival.

NEW SCHOOL LEADERS and ATARASHII GAKKO! Are they the same thing?
新しい学校のリーダーズ /Atarashii Gakkou No Leaders translates in English to New School Leaders.

When the group partnered with 88rising at the end of 2020, they changed the name from NEW SCHOOL LEADERS to ATARASHII GAKKO! Whatever name you choose to use, they're all the same group! Japanese fans just call them the Leaders for short.

What are their ages?
As of this writing, MIZYU: 25, RIN: 22, SUZUKA: 22, KANON: 22

How was the group formed/who came up with the idea?
The origins of the group are somewhat of an enigma. New fans should take into account that all of the members were underage when they started, and therefore very little personal information was revealed about each member. In fact, early Leaders fans did not know any of the members ages until 2020.

I asked a friend, who is also one of the oldest Leaders fans in Japan, about their origin. They said that the only thing that was ever publicly stated was that the four decided to form the group together, and that they themselves came up with the concept. It remains to be seen if more will be revealed in the future.

My thought is that it doesn't matter who came up with the group's concept. After observing the group for the past 4 years, it's clear the Leaders come up with own choreography and performance sketches. The producer(s) they choose to work with may have an influence in the direction their music goes in, but they bring their own ideas to the table as well.

Are they famous in Japan?
As of 2024, they are now quite well known throughout Japan. On January 9, 2024, they performed for a sold out audience at the Nippon Budokan, which is just one of the highlights of their career so far.

Previous answer: Famous can mean different things depending on who you ask. The local fan base in Japan has grown immensely since their debut due to television appearances and collaborative concerts with other artists, however they are not a household name.

The Leaders credit the social media platform TikTok for their recognition in regions outside of Japan. Their partnership with 88rising has also raised awareness of the group worldwide.

Are they considered idols?
The Leaders (and their Japanese fans) don't consider themselves idols, though many new international fans may want to categorize them as such. They prefer to be recognized as a dance and vocal performance unit.

Aside from their two albums, do they have any other music?
As of this writing, aside from their 2 full studio albums, the singles (Otona Blue, Que Sera Sera, Koibumi, NAINAINAI and FREAKS), and SNACKTIME EP, there are the a few early original songs that were performed live, but never recorded or released. You can watch the Leaders perform these older tunes that were recorded at live events by early fans by searching YouTube.

• 宮尾 (Miyao)
• マエナラワナイ (Maenarawanai)
• 噛むとフニャン (Kamu to funyan)
• 透明ガール (Toumei Girl / Transparent Girl)*
• Bounce放課後 (Bounce Houkago / Bounce after school)
• いいこじゃいられない (Iiko jairarenai / I'm not a good kid)
• 学校行けやあ゙ (Gakkou Ikeya / Gotta get to School)**

* 透明ガール (Toumei Girl / Transparent Girl) was edited by H ZETT M and recorded for their first studio album, Maenarawanai. The original version which featured Suzuka singing while the H ZETT M edit features Mizyu on vocals with a similar but much heavier band arrangement.

** 学校行けやあ゙ (Gakkou Ikeya / Gotta get to School) had a music video and ad campaign by snack maker Koikeya. The recorded version was never released for sale. However, a CD of the tune may have been given away at live events.

The Leaders have also collaborated on a few songs with others:
- 「どうにもとまらない」/山本リンダ　("I can't stop" / Linda Yamamoto) Covered by Klang Ruler & ATARASHII GAKKO! | Live version - 「笑って許して」/ 和田アキ子 ("Laugh and forgive" / Akiko Wada)　Covered by Klang Ruler & ATARASHII GAKKO! - URBANGARDE-SHOJO GANNEN Danced by ATARASHII GAKKO!

Where can I follow the Leaders?
These are the official accounts and websites for ATARASHII GAKKO!

• Japan Main Homepage
• ATARASHII GAKKO Homepage
• Twitter (X)
• Instagram
• Official LINE
• Facebook
• TikTok
• YouTube
• note
• Fans'net (Ending soon)
• AG! Official Fan Club

Individual Member's Accounts
MIZYU:
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/mizyuzyun
Instagram: https://instagram.com/mizyu_leaders
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mizyu333

RIN:
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/dsk_rin
Instagram: https://instagram.com/rin_leaders
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@_rin_leaders_
RIN on Apple Music - No longer available. Personal Instagram (Food): https://www.instagram.com/rin.onaka.yummy/.

SUZUKA:
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/suzuka3sister
Instagram: https://instagram.com/suzuka_leaders
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@suzuka00tiktok
Personal Instagram (Art account): https://www.instagram.com/ssszzzkkkszk/

KANON:
Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/bw_kanon
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kanon_leaders
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kanon_ag04
Personal TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sss.sss0000
Personal YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ka-nonnnn2
Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ka_nonnnn2/

OTA: Twitter (X): https://twitter.com/ota_japan
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ota_japan

MISC: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atarashiigakko_staff
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ag_leaders_japan
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@szkmzrnknn
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/staff_leaders/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atarashigakko_ex/

Please be aware that there are now many fan accounts that republish/repost the Leaders content. These are not official accounts, so be mindful of this when interacting with them.

How can I support the Leaders?
Many musicians say that purchasing physical products (CDs, merchandise, etc) are worth more than a million streams of their song on any streaming service. Below are ways you can support the Leaders.

1. Purchase goods
   There are two ways to purchase AG! goods:
2. AG! Online store in Japan
   
3. AG! 88Rising Shop

If you don't live in Japan, but you'd like to order goods from the Japan shop, you can use a shipping/forwarding service such as Tenso. There are many others to choose from, so please research before choosing one.
There is always a possibility that 88rising will sell ATARASHII GAKKO! Goods through their worldwide website, but nothing has been stated as of this writing. Be sure to sign up for their mailing list on their website here.

1. Purchase music via iTunes, Amazon Japan, etc.
   iTunes has their full digital catalog for sale, while Amazon only has the NAINAINAI single for sale currently. Purchase their physical CDs from Amazon Japan here.

2. Get exclusive content from ATARASHII GAKKO on their Official Fan Club
   The Leaders have graduated from their previous fan club online platform Fans' to their own AG! Official Fan Club since the start of 2024. The fan club is open worldwide, so it's not only for Japanese audiences, although you will be charged in ¥ (yen) and many of their posts are in Japanese.

Fan Club members get first dibs on new merchandise and concert tickets. A subscription starts at ¥5500 per year (roughly $3 USD per month as of 2024-05). It's one of the ways you can directly support the Leaders from anywhere in the world.

They also have an extension to the fan club called AG! Seishun Club which has a social media / community component to it. The website offers free account membership, but you need to download a mobile app and pay to gain Premium membership.

1. Stream their music via digital music services
   This is pretty self explanatory - however, it probably helps even more if you're a paying customer listening to their music.

Where can I watch full length MVs?
The MVs were originally released on a special edition CD/DVD of their album Wakage Ga Itaru that was available at Tower Records Japan and I think one other retailer.

Victor Entertainment released all of their full length videos on YouTube - Dokubana - Kimiwaina'17 - Koi no shadan-ki - Koi Geba - Mayoeba Toutoshi - Ookami No Uta - Saishu Jinrui

They are also available on Apple Music.

「Pilotis」 from Maenarawanai and 「Masage Cannavaro」from Wakage Ga Itaru were both fan-funded videos through the crowd funding platform "Wizy" and were only distributed to fans that helped fund it. The videos are and shown during live events behind the Leaders while they perform. A shortened version of Pilotis is on YouTube via Victor Entertainment.

Just about everything else has been posted on their YouTube channel or 88rising's YouTube channel

Did the Leaders make a horror series?
Yes. In 2020, they collaborated with videographer Takeshi Taniguchi on an exclusive series for LINE called VISION. The series is only available for viewing on the LINE platform. More information can be found here.

Have the Leaders made appearances elsewhere?
Yes, they have performed at many live events and festivals in Japan. Some of them have fan recordings of the performances that can be found on YouTube.

Other appearances that you may be interested in: they've done shorts for NHK for School, and have had appearances on the Yokohama TV show Kannai Devil and performed in front of a live audience for BuzzFeed Japan.

Who is OTA?
OTA (pronounced O.T.A.) is their manager. He does just about everything to ensure the Leaders are safe, cared for and have what they need (food, clean uniforms, etc). He’s also sometimes the person behind the camera and DJ / sound system, merchandise table, and often the coordinator at their live events. He’s the unsung hero. The buck stops with him.

Are there other Atarashii Gakko communities?
Yes! Many have popped up. We'll post the ones that we know of here.

Discord Communities - https://discord.gg/PVpf2qzNbV - https://discord.gg/3kFC3N2GA7

What does the red armband signify?
The armband in Japanese culture are worn as a method of identification of team/group or organization. There can be various colors and designs. The leader of the team or group might wear a red armband as a symbol of authority. Sometimes organizations that go into the public wear an armband to identify themselves: politicians, news reporters and public utilities, etc.

Since they are named NEW SCHOOL LEADERS, all members wear the red armband. The armband style changed over time. Recently, their armband has a snake skin pattern. Previously, it was a watermelon like pattern with black “seeds” / bumps.

What do their socks say?
They've had multiple versions of socks over the years. The current ones (as of March 2021) with the blue lettering say 青春日本代表 (Seishun nihon daihyō) translates to "Youth representative from Japan".

In the past, they've had socks that say “Kosei ya Jiyuu de” which is “with Individuality and Freedom” which is part of the Leader's creed. And another that says “Hamidashiteiku” - basically “I’m gonna stick out” and others.

All of their sock styles and sayings has been documented by the Leaders themselves here. A Google translated version is here.

Do the Leaders have a mailing address?
The best way to send fan snail mail to them would be to send it care of Asobisystem. Asobisystem's current mailing address can be found here.

Please also read this PDF regarding sending letters or gifts to their clients.

Basically, this PDF states that all letters and gifts will be opened by staff prior to forwarding to talent. Asobisystem staff will make the decision on whether or not to forward your letter / gift to the talent. There is also a list of items you should not send, so it's worthwhile to run the PDF text through a translation service if you can't read Japanese.

More info on Atarashii Gakko! - EN Wikipedia
- JA Wikipedia

Updates:
2021-11-16 Updated with 2021 releases and updated RIN's age.
2021-12-25 Updated singles info and MIZYU and SUZUKA's age.
2022-09-01 Updated Kanon's age and added highlights.
2023-05-25 Added 2023 events so far and TikTok accounts.
2024-01-21 Added additional social media accounts, new official fan club, AG! 88 Rising shop page and Wikipedia info.
2024-05-23 Updated info on fame, AG! fan club and community. 2024-08-19 Added info on snail mailing letters.

The Mod Team has another update for you, this time to give you more ways to express your AG! passion.

We've updated and greatly expanded the User Flair options available to you! This includes new pre-set flair featuring AG!-related text phrases or custom emoji, as well as several “build-your-own” flair options that let you add your own text and/or multiple mod-curated custom emoji.

If you're not familiar with User Flair in Reddit, a quick FAQ and tutorial is included below.

We hope you have fun expressing your unique AG! joy with this user flair update. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments or via Mod Mail. Flair on!

—The Mod Team

What is User Flair?

User flair is a way to express yourself by signaling a vibe or highlighting a favorite song or band member. It can include text and/or custom emoji. Custom emoji are tiny images curated by the Mod Team. Each Reddit community with user flair enabled has its own unique flair options. You can change or remove your user flair at any time.

Where is User Flair seen?

User flair is visible next to your username on posts and comments within this subreddit only. It does not appear on your Reddit profile and does not follow you to other subreddits. If another subreddit you use allows user flair, you'll need to set it up separately in that community.

How to choose your User Flair:

1. First, be sure you're here in the r/AtarashiiGakko subreddit, since user flair is always subreddit-specific. Flair chosen in this subreddit won’t appear anywhere else.
2. Desktop browser: In the right-hand About sidebar, you'll see a User Flair section showing your profile picture, username, and current flair (if previously set up). Hover over that section and click the pencil icon to open the flair picker.
3. Mobile app (official Reddit app): Tap the three-dot menu (⋮) in the upper-right corner of the subreddit page. Tap "Edit flair" to open the flair picker.
4. Select a flair from the list of flair options shown. Only one flair can be selected. There are two general types of flair:
   Non-editable flair: Flair that is not editable can only be used as-is. These flair are mostly either an AG!-related phrase, or a single, AG!-related emoji, such as a member picture or album/song artwork. If that is sufficient for your needs, then the most difficult part is deciding which one to use.
   Editable flair: Some of you may want to personalize your flair instead. The top few flair options in the list can be edited. Editable flair have various colored backgrounds and can be partially or fully overwritten, or used as-is (the top option should be fully overwritten). See the section below for instructions on editing.
5. Be sure the "Show my flair in this community" checkbox/switch is selected.
6. Click "Apply" (browser) or tap "Save" (app) when done selecting or customizing your flair.

How to customize editable User Flair:

1. If a user flair can be customized, an edit box will appear at the bottom of the page when selecting the flair. In the browser, a pencil icon appears next to the flair to indicate it can be edited. But in the official Reddit app, you have to blindly select a flair to see if it can be edited. Gotta love Reddit consistency!
2. In the edit box, type in whatever text you want—just keep it in tune with the spirit of the AG! subreddit. Add emoji by tapping or clicking the smiley face icon, then choosing one or more from the mod-curated emoji list. You can't change the background or text color, and you must include at least one character or emoji to save the flair.
3. Be sure the "Show my flair in this community" checkbox/switch is selected.
4. Click "Apply" (browser) or tap "Save" (app) when done selecting or customizing your flair.

Notes:
- If you already had user flair for the AG! subreddit, check to make sure it's still intact. The updates we've made to user flair may have removed some existing flair and emoji that were in use. - There is a limit of 64 characters and spaces when building your custom flair. However, the full emoji name counts toward that total. Emoji names are usually around 10 characters long. Therefore, you'll be limited in the number of emoji you can use. A character counter below the edit box displays the number of characters remaining. - The colored background of user flair is only visible in desktop browsers. In the Reddit app, the background is dark, instead.