Japanese boy band Arashi is disbanding.
Having been on hiatus since 2020, Arashi announced on May 7 that they will conclude all group activities following their concert tour scheduled for 2026.
Photo: Arashi
“It has been almost four and a half years since we went on hiatus, and we sincerely regret we were unable to perform for all of you during that last year of activities due to the Coronavirus pandemic. So, in order to finally express our deep gratitude directly to all our fans, the five of us have gathered together once again and have begun planning a concert tour as ARASHI to be held next spring,” they said in a statement.
“With the establishment of Arashi Inc., there had been discussion around the possibility of assembling a new structure with new staff members to support our plans, but we have decided instead to bring this to life together with the many people who have helped and supported us over the past 20 years. And upon conclusion of this tour, we will end our activities as ARASHI.”
The band shared that they had considered working together again. However, with the changing environment and each member’s evolving personal circumstances, they found it difficult to find a clear path forward. Arashi said they decided to hold a final concert to express their heartfelt gratitude to their fans.
“For about a year and a half now, the five of us have regularly gotten together to discuss the idea of working as ARASHI again. However, it was not easy to find an answer to how to do this, as the environment surrounding us has changed, in addition to each of our individually changed circumstances compared to before,” they continued.
“Such being the case, after much time and repeated conversations, 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 our Corona concert did not allow for, and then end our activities as a group. We could not imagine resuming our activities only to go on a hiatus yet again.”
Arashi also noted that they would temporarily suspend new applications for their fan club membership to prioritize selling tickets to current fan club members. They added that their family club will also close this May.
“With the end of ARASHI’s activities, our family club will also close in May 2026, but we will continue to deliver as much content as possible throughout this next year for your fun and enjoyment, and will resume accepting new family club memberships as soon as possible so that even those who are not members already can enjoy the videos and more. Our next content distribution to the ARASHI Family Club is scheduled for the middle of next month,” they stated.
Arashi concluded their statement by thanking their fans who continue to support them, saying, “Once again, we would like to thank all the fans who have continued to support us, and have come together as the five of us in order to bring you something very special. Please look forward to everything we have planned.”
Composed of Aiba Masaki, Jun Matsumoto, Kazunari Ninomiya, Satoshi Ohno, and Sho Sakurai, Arashi is among the biggest Japanese boy groups. They formed in 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Among their hits include “Love So Sweet,” “One Love,” “Arashi,” “Monster,” and “Wild At Heart.”
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