Japan's legendary supergroup Arashi, who once dominated charts across Asia, has been on an indefinite hiatus since late 2020. While all five members have since carved out successful solo careers, fans have eagerly awaited their reunion.
Well, get ready for some bittersweet news. Today (May 6), the group officially announced via their X account that they will be formally disbanding by the end of May 2026. But it's not all tears! The five members will reunite for one last hurrah, embarking on a final nationwide tour in Spring 2026 to personally thank their loyal fanbase for years of unwavering support.
Here are the key points from Arashi's official statement:
"Hello everyone, long time no see! We are Arashi, and we have something important we want to tell you personally.
It's been four and a half years since our hiatus began, and during that final year, the pandemic unfortunately prevented us from saying goodbye to you all in person. To express our gratitude to all the fans who have supported us throughout the years, the five of us have reunited and are preparing to launch a concert tour next spring.
During this period, we actually established "Arashi Inc." and explored creating a new team and model. However, in the end, we truly want to complete this final stage alongside the long-time comrades who have supported us for over two decades.
After this upcoming tour concludes, Arashi will officially draw its curtain and cease all activities as a group. For about a year and a half now, we've been meeting irregularly to discuss the possibility of resuming activities together. However, with everyone at different stages in their lives, finding a solution that works for all members has proven incredibly difficult.
After numerous discussions, we decided that we must hold at least one more concert to personally say "thank you" to everyone. This will allow us to make up for the final performance that was interrupted by the pandemic and bring this journey to a complete and fitting close. We have no intention of restarting activities only to go on hiatus again; therefore, this will be our ultimate farewell stage.
The concert is still in the planning stages, so we can't reveal too many details just yet. However, we promise to personally share all the news with our fans as soon as possible. Additionally, Arashi's official fan club will officially close in May 2026. Until then, we'll do our best to provide rich content for our members. We'll also be opening up new memberships, so even those who aren't currently members can join us for this final chapter. Expect a new wave of content to drop around mid-next month!
Finally, the five of us will reunite once more, filled with immense gratitude, to deliver works and content that we hope you'll all love. Please look forward to it!"
As soon as the news broke, X (formerly Twitter) trends were flooded with keywords like "Activity End," "Fan Club," and "My Youth." Many fans expressed a poignant sense of nostalgia, feeling that their own youth had grown alongside Arashi, and this farewell announcement symbolizes the bittersweet end of an era.
Upon hearing the news, fans flooded social media with comments like, "I'm genuinely going to cry," "Thank you for over 20 years of companionship," and "Time to get ready for the final show!" This highly anticipated "final concert" will be the moment Arashi truly bids farewell to their fans face-to-face as a group, marking the grand finale of their incredible 26-year journey.
via： livedoor news