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Japan Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
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.
Asahi Shimbun
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Asahi Shimbun
The final tour? Arashi to end activities after 2026 concerts
The five-member male idol group Arashi announced on May 6 that it will end activities with a concert tour to be held next spring. The unit created by Johnny & Associates Inc. had been on hiatus since the end of 2020. Arashi released a three-minute video on its website for official fan club members, acknowledging it has been four and a half years since the five members were seen together before revealing that they are preparing for a concert tour scheduled for around next spring. The J-pop group's activities will end with this tour, as will the official fan club's operations in May 2026. Satoshi Ono, 44, the group's leader, said in the video: 'After many discussions, we all came to the conclusion that we would get together once again to hold a concert as Arashi and end our activities as a five-member group with the act of expressing our thank you directly to all the fans, which was not possible during the COVID-19 pandemic.' He added, 'It was unthinkable that we would go into another hiatus after resuming our activities.' Arashi consists of Ono; Masaki Aiba, 42; Jun Matsumoto, 41; Kazunari Ninomiya, 41; and Sho Sakurai, 43. The group members made their debut with the release of their first CD in 1999. Their popularity earned them an appearance in the annual nationally televised New Year's Eve music and entertainment show "NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen' for 12 consecutive years starting in 2009. Each member also took on individual roles, appearing on variety shows as well as in TV dramas and commercials, earning support from audiences of all ages. On the 20th anniversary of their debut in 2019, the group announced that it would suspend its activities at the end of 2020.
The Mainichi
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Mainichi
Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The popular Japanese all-male idol group Arashi, which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020, announced Tuesday that it will disband after a tour next spring with all five members. "The environment surrounding us has changed," as have each member's circumstances, the group said in a post on its official social media accounts and on an official fan website. "We came to the conclusion that we should all come together as Arashi, hold a concert that would allow us to express our thanks directly with the kind of in-person performance" that was not possible because of the coronavirus pandemic, it said. The boy band shocked fans when it announced in January 2019 that it planned to temporarily stop performing together. The decision was made after group leader Satoshi Ono informed the other members in June 2017 that he wished to leave. Arashi is one of the most successful idol groups created by giant entertainment agency Johnny & Associates Inc., now known as Starto Entertainment Inc. The group's members have been active not only in music but also in movies, TV dramas, variety shows and commercials since its debut in 1999.
Japan Today
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Today
Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year
The popular Japanese all-male idol group Arashi, which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020, announced Tuesday that it will disband after a tour next spring with all five members. "The environment surrounding us has changed," as have each member's circumstances, the group said in a post on its official social media accounts and on an official fan website. "We came to the conclusion that we should all come together as Arashi, hold a concert that would allow us to express our thanks directly with the kind of in-person performance" that was not possible because of the coronavirus pandemic, it said. The boy band shocked fans when it announced in January 2019 that it planned to temporarily stop performing together. The decision was made after group leader Satoshi Ono informed the other members in June 2017 that he wished to leave. Arashi is one of the most successful idol groups created by giant entertainment agency Johnny & Associates Inc., now known as Starto Entertainment Inc. The group's members have been active not only in music but also in movies, TV dramas, variety shows and commercials since its debut in 1999. © KYODO
Kyodo News
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Kyodo News
Japanese idol group Arashi to disband after spring tour next year
KYODO NEWS - 8 hours ago - 20:48 | Arts, All, Japan The popular Japanese all-male idol group Arashi, which has been on hiatus since the end of 2020, announced Tuesday that it will disband after a tour next spring with all five members. "The environment surrounding us has changed," as have each member's circumstances, the group said in a post on its official social media accounts and on an official fan website. "We came to the conclusion that we should all come together as Arashi, hold a concert that would allow us to express our thanks directly with the kind of in-person performance" that was not possible because of the coronavirus pandemic, it said. The boy band shocked fans when it announced in January 2019 that it planned to temporarily stop performing together. The decision was made after group leader Satoshi Ono informed the other members in June 2017 that he wished to leave. Arashi is one of the most successful idol groups created by giant entertainment agency Johnny & Associates Inc., now known as Starto Entertainment Inc. The group's members have been active not only in music but also in movies, TV dramas, variety shows and commercials since its debut in 1999.
