Arashi’s Hiatus Sparks Early Fan Debate Why Some Ohno Fans Are Heartbroken

A conflict already erupting among the fans?

Arashi announced that they will end group activities after their concert tour is scheduled for spring 2026. As a beloved national idol group, their final tour is expected to have one of the fiercest ticket battles ever. Amid this, some fans of Arashi’s leader, Satoshi Ohno, are expressing their disappointment.

Arashi went on hiatus at the end of 2020 because Ohno expressed a desire to live a free life. Since then, fans have been eagerly awaiting the group’s comeback, but the five members effectively decided to disband.

On May 6, Arashi updated their official SNS, explaining that for the tour planned next spring, concert tickets will be prioritized for current fan club members, so new fan club registrations will be temporarily suspended.

They also announced that the fan club will close at the end of May 2026, but for those who are not currently members, we are preparing to reopen new member registration so they can enjoy upcoming content. The next content delivery inside the Arashi fan club is scheduled for mid-next month

Meanwhile, during the period Ohno has been inactive, fan club newsletters and other materials have featured the other four members—Masaki Aiba, Sho Sakurai, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto—leading some Ohno fans to stop renewing their membership and leave the fan club.

In response to the recent announcement, some Ohno fans lament:

“I waited three years since Arashi went on hiatus, but receiving newsletters without Ohno was painful, so I quit the fan club. Once registration reopens, I’ll apply for the concert tickets!”

“It was too hard to keep getting newsletters without Ohno, so I didn’t renew. Even if new membership registration reopens, it seems like new members won’t get a chance to buy tickets. I wanted to see Ohno one more time.”

“Every time the newsletter arrived, I felt lonely and sad. I just stopped renewing this year. I want to go to the live concert and see Ohno one last time.”

Because it’s still unknown whether Ohno will continue his entertainment activities, fans are worried that next year’s tour might be Ohno’s final stage.

“A priority ticket application system is planned for current active members for Arashi’s last tour. Probably, new members who join later will be given a chance to apply afterward as well. However, the announcement on the 6th did not include detailed information about this yet. Some Ohno fans who have already quit are calling for compensatory measures, but those who continued their membership since the end of 2020 and have been waiting for Ohno’s return are opposing this,” says an entertainment writer.

On social media, some fans expressed their displeasure:

“Since it’s the last time, I’m sure people who aren’t Arashi fans also want to come, but honestly, I don’t want people who aren’t fans to come casually. Those who quit or forgot to renew their membership brought it on themselves.”

“It’s too much for people who didn’t trust Arashi and quit the fan club to now say ‘give us compensation.’”

“From the viewpoint of those who kept renewing their membership, honestly, I want them to stop asking for compensation.”

Already, disputes are flaring up among Arashi fans over the final concert tour. It’s certain that tickets will be fiercely contested.