J-pop group Arashi to disband after going on tour next spring
Japan's popular boy band Arashi — which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020 — will disband next year after going on tour one last time next spring, the group announced in a video on its fan club site.
The announcement on Tuesday, the first time the group has officially appeared together since 2020, puts an end to speculation on whether they will resume activities.
There were emotional reactions from fans to the news.
"Because Arashi is of my generation, to be honest, I'm shocked," one fan wrote on X.
'The five of us had been getting together on occasion to discuss the possibility of working as Arashi once again,' said Sho Sakurai, one of the members. 'However, as the environment surrounding us changed and each of our circumstances have also changed, it was not easy to come to a conclusion.'
Satoshi Ono, who leads the group, added, 'After having held many discussions over time, we came to the conclusion that we would end our activities with the five of us after coming together once again to perform in a concert as Arashi and express our gratitude directly to our fans, which had not been possible because of COVID-19.'
Before they went on hiatus in December 2020 during the pandemic, they performed in a livestreamed concert without an audience.
Current fan club members will be given priority to purchase tickets for next spring's concert tour. Applications to join the fan club have been temporarily suspended.
With the group's disbandment, the fan club will also shut down in May 2026.
Arashi, which debuted in 1999, is one of Japan's top J-pop groups. They were members of the now-defunct major talent agency Johnny's & Associates, which was renamed Starto Entertainment.
Some of their hit songs include 'A・RA・SHI,' 'Love So Sweet' and 'Happiness.' All five members have also been hugely successful individually, including as actors, models and newscasters. Everyone aside from Ono continued to work in the entertainment industry throughout the hiatus.
'Arashi had been active for a long time as a national idol group, producing many hit songs, and had been a huge presence,' Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Wednesday. 'I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for their cooperation in various government activities, such as their role in promoting the appeal of Japanese culture internationally.'
Arashi shocked the nation in 2019 when they announced — after 20 years at the forefront of Japanese entertainment — that they would be going on hiatus. The decision was made after Ono expressed he wanted to leave the group.
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