In a live broadcast, Ohno-san said, “I was allowed to live freely for about four and a half years,” looking back on the years during his hiatus. He is now talking with the members of Arashi and is showing his enthusiasm for the last year of his career, saying, “I can’t end it like this, On November 3, the 26th anniversary of their debut, the five members of Arashi appeared on the official fan club’s live broadcast for the first time in 1,768 days, the first time since the big New Year’s Eve in 2008. Among them, the leader of the group, Satoshi Ohno (44), who had long been on a hiatus from performing, attracted a great deal of attention from fans even before the live broadcast. During his hiatus from Arashi, Mr. Ono was based on Miyako Island, Okinawa, and lived a life of traveling back and forth between there and Tokyo. His wild appearance, with his tanned skin and beard, was the talk of the town. When a fan commented during the live broadcast, “Ohno-kun, you got a tan,” Ohno-san couldn’t help but smile. It seems that Arashi is now steadily preparing for their final tour scheduled for next spring, and member Sho Sakurai (43) revealed that he frequently watches old live videos. Before the tour, the focus of attention is on their participation in this year’s “NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen” (Red and White Singing Contest). In ’23 and ’24, STARTO’s idol groups did not participate in the Kohaku Uta Gassen due to the sex-abuse issue of Mr. Janie Kitagawa (87 years old). However, at NHK’s regular press conference on October 16, it was stated that if STARTO’s talents “get into the purpose of the program (they could participate),” their participation is now a real possibility. According to some reports, it is expected that only two or three groups will actually appear. In the past, Arashi as a group hosted the event for five consecutive years from ’10 to ’14, and Kazuya Ninomiya (42), Masaki Aiba (42), and Sakurai have hosted the event individually since then. Considering that this year marks the 100th anniversary of NHK’s broadcasting, NHK would like Arashi to participate by all means, as it is their “last chance” to do so. However, an unexpected person is said to be “waiting in the wings. “Matsumoto Jun (42), a member of Arashi, has expressed his reluctance,” said a source close to Arashi at a TV station. Matsumoto is in charge of directing Arashi’s live performances and is known as one of the most professional members of the group.
