Arashi ends 26-and-a-half-year run with Tokyo Dome finale

2026-06-01

Wrapping up a 26-and-a-half-year run

Arashi held a concert at Tokyo Dome in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, on the 31st, bringing its 26-and-a-half-year career to a close. It was the final date of a 15-show tour that began in March and covered five cities nationwide, and each member expressed thanks. Sho Sakurai, 44, said: 'We will each walk our own path. We would be grateful if you continued to watch over us warmly.'

Performing all 33 songs

The show ran for about three and a half hours and featured all 33 songs, including 'Happiness' and 'Monster'. Satoshi Ohno, 45, was overcome with emotion and shed tears, saying: 'Thank you very much for supporting us for 26 and a half years.' The other members are Masaki Aiba, 43, Jun Matsumoto, 42, and Kazunari Ninomiya, 42.

A presence at key milestones

Arashi made its CD debut in November 1999 and built a string of hit songs to become hugely popular nationwide. A variety show bearing the group's name also drew support, and the members made their mark in dramas and films as well. From 2009, they appeared in NHK's annual Kohaku Uta Gassen for 12 straight years and became the first group ever to host the show.

In 2015, they held a four-day recovery support concert for the Great East Japan Earthquake in Miyagi Prefecture. In 2019, they performed a celebratory song at the congratulatory ceremony for the 'National Festival' marking the Emperor's accession to the throne. Following Ohno's wish to 'try living a free life,' the group suspended activities at the end of 2020. Last May, it announced that it would hold a final tour around spring 2026 and end its activities.

Old Johnny's scandal also cast a shadow

The former Johnny's agency to which they belonged acknowledged in 2023 that sexual abuse of boys by its founder and former president, Johnny Kitagawa, who died in 2019, had occurred and apologized. The scandal shocked society.

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