ARASHI's Final Bow: Members Tearfully Conclude 26-Year Career at Tokyo Dome

Japanese national idol group ARASHI brought their 26-and-a-half-year career to a close with an emotional final concert at Tokyo Dome on May 31st, attended by over 50,000 fans.

Throughout the concert, members shared heartfelt messages, expressing profound gratitude for the unwavering support of their fans. Lead vocalist Jun Matsumoto became visibly emotional early on, telling the audience, "Today, you make us happy!" The group performed a string of their greatest hits, including "Yes? No?," "Truth," "Monster," and "Love so sweet," culminating in a powerful rendition of "Five," "ARASHI," "Thank You for My Everything," and "Happiness."

Kazunari Ninomiya reflected on his 30-year career with Johnny's, the former talent agency, stating, "What I learned from Johnny's is not whether something can be done, but whether you want to do it." Masaki Aiba recalled their debut wish to create a "storm" (Arashi) and expressed joy at seeing their wish fulfilled, thanking fans for allowing them to witness "all sorts of scenery."

Leader Satoshi Ohno, who debuted at 18, thanked his bandmates for their support over the years. Sho Sakurai shared a poignant metaphor about the group being placed in a treasure chest after their hiatus announcement in 2019 and reopened in May of the previous year, allowing the five members to unlock it together and witness a "brilliant landscape."

Concluding their remarks, Sakurai stated, "Matsumoto Jun, Ninomiya Kazunari, Aiba Masaki, Ohno Satoshi, Sakurai Sho. We were ARASHI, no, we ARE ARASHI." The members emphasized that while their group activities were ending, the "ARASHI" they built together would continue, and they would cherish the memories of their dream-like journey.