A Decade-Old Love Story Returns to the Spotlight as Arashi Approaches Its Farewell

A farewell declaration immediately after the report

Currently in the middle of their final tour, Arashi will conclude group activities with their Tokyo Dome concert on May 31. Known for their clean-cut image, the group nevertheless experienced numerous scandals and romance reports that captured public attention during their more than 25 years of activity.

One such story continues to generate headlines even today.

Leader Satoshi Ohno (45) was reported by the magazine “Shukan Bunshun” on April 30 to have reunited with a former actress, Ms. A, with whom he had previously been linked romantically, and to have resumed seeing her nearly ten years after their original relationship came to light.

Because the report emerged during Arashi’s final tour, fans responded with mixed reactions:

“Ohno-kun is at that age now.”

“He’s certainly of marriageable age.”

But others were less pleased:

“Honestly, I didn’t want to hear about this during the final tour.”

Whether fans or not, many people undoubtedly paid attention.

The woman allegedly dropped hints on her log

The origin of this love story rekindled after ten years was a “FRIDAY” article published in 2015 that reported Satoshi Ohno’s cohabiting relationship with Ms. A. At the time, Arashi was at the height of its popularity, and the situation led to an outcome that would be almost unimaginable today.

“What was unusual was that immediately after the report, Ohno held a press scrum at a concert venue. There, he effectively made a farewell declaration, stating, ‘I will never see her again.’ The expression on Ohno’s face, as though his mind were elsewhere, was particularly memorable. The intense criticism from fans and the agency’s response to the incident have even been cited as one of the factors behind the group’s 2020 hiatus,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

Later, in 2020, Ohno was also reported to be in a relationship with a single mother referred to as Ms. B. It was said that his preparations for life on a remote island were made with marriage to her in mind.

An entertainment industry insider revealed:

“Back in 2020, it was said that not only the situation involving Ms. A but also his relationship with Ms. B was one of the major reasons behind the hiatus. At the time of the break, Ohno reportedly had no lingering attachment to the entertainment industry and was even considering retirement. It’s also said that he was the member most reluctant to participate in this final tour. That suggests his personal struggles were closely tied to the group’s future.”

In some ways, the person whose romance shocked fans even more than Ohno’s was Kazunari Ninomiya (42), whose relationship with a former freelance announcer came to light in 2016.

After news of the relationship broke, fans were thrown into an uproar as posts on the woman’s blog and other social media accounts were said to contain repeated hints suggesting the relationship.

“The backlash from fans toward her was tremendous. Even so, Ninomiya himself was completely devoted to her, and in 2019 he became the first member of the group to get married. Rumors circulated that the marriage caused friction not only among fans but within the group as well. For Ohno, who had gone as far as making a farewell declaration in 2015, Ninomiya’s marriage must have been complicated to process.” said the same sports newspaper reporter.

Ninomiya had previously been linked romantically to major actresses such as Masami Nagasawa (38) in 2007 and Nozomi Sasaki (38) in 2011.

Known as “Arashi’s biggest ladies’ man,” he ultimately announced his marriage before the group’s hiatus, demonstrating perhaps the strongest determination among the members.

As a national idol group, Arashi has remained at the forefront of the entertainment industry throughout its career. Their scandals occasionally created headwinds, but many fans feel that overcoming those challenges has given the members greater depth as individuals.

Until the very last day, every move they make will continue to attract attention.

On YouTube, FRIDAY Digital’s “Entertainment Reporters Channel” features active entertainment journalists looking back on Arashi’s “26-Year History of Scandals,” revisiting the group’s various scandals and romance reports as the end of its activities approaches. In addition to Ohno and Ninomiya, the program also takes a deeper look at the true relationship between Jun Matsumoto (42) and Mao Inoue (39), as well as the story behind Sho Sakurai (44) and Masaki Aiba’s (43) same-day marriage announcements.