Arashi
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese boy band
formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The group was initially signed to Pony Canyon
and released one studio album
and six singles—beginning with their 1999 eponymous debut single—before moving to the Johnny's subsidiary label J Storm
in 2001, which was initially set up for their succeeding releases. While their debut single debuted atop the Oricon
weekly chart selling a little over half a million copies, the group subsequently faced slowly declining sales.
With the release of their eighteenth single "Love So Sweet
", Arashi began gaining commercial success as "Love So Sweet" was used as the opening theme song for the high-rating drama
Hana Yori Dango 2
, making it one of the top five best-selling singles of 2007 in Japan and the group's first single to exceed 400,000 copies sold overall in nearly seven years. For the next two years, Arashi gained a number of achievements and records as they became the first artist to place the top two rankings on the Oricon singles yearly chart for two consecutive years with their singles "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e
" and "One Love
" in 2008 and "Believe/Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon (Kimi wa Muteki)" in 2009, simultaneously topped the 2009 Oricon singles, album and music DVD yearly charts, and became the third artist in Oricon history to monopolize the top three best-selling singles of the year. In 2010, all six of Arashi's singles ranked within the top ten of the Oricon singles yearly chart, and their million-selling studio album Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
was named the best-selling album of the year in Japan.
chose five trainees from the Johnny's Jr.
division of the agency to become the members of Arashi, the Japanese word for Storm, and to represent the agency's thrust of "creating a storm throughout the world". On November 3, 1999, they made their CD debut by releasing the single "Arashi", which became the theme song for the Volleyball World Cup
hosted by Japan in 1999. It went on to become a major hit, selling 557,430 copies in its first week and almost a million copies by the end of its chart run.
On April 5, 2000, Arashi released their second single "Sunrise Nippon/Horizon
", which debuted at number-one on the Oricon
weekly singles chart selling 304,340 copies. The next day, the group began their first concert tour at Osaka Hall
. In July, the group released their next single "Typhoon Generation
", which debuted at number three on the weekly singles chart with 256,510 copies sold and continued to chart for nine weeks before leaving the charts. After holding more concerts in August, the group released their last single of 2000, "Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi
". The single debuted at number two on the Oricon weekly singles chart and had first-week sales of 258,720.
In January 2001, Arashi released their first studio album Arashi No.1 Ichigou: Arashi wa Arashi o Yobu!. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart with initial sales of 267,220 copies. Until the release of their tenth anniversary compilation album All the Best! 1999–2009, the album remained the group's best-selling album with overall sales of about 323,030 for nearly ten years. From March 25 to April 30, 2001, the group embarked on their first nationwide concert tour Arashi Spring Concert 2001. The tour took place in Sendai, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaidō, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Toyama, and Tokyo with an unprecedented twenty-six performances. Before moving to a private record label by the end of 2001, Arashi released "Jidai
" as their final single under Pony Canyon
. Used as the theme song for Matsumoto's drama Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo 3, it was named Best Theme Song in the 30th Television Drama Academy Awards.
. "A Day in Our Life" was used as the theme song for Sakurai's comedy drama Kisarazu Cat's Eye
and debuted atop of the Oricon weekly singles chart selling 226,480 copies. Their subsequent releases of the year, "Nice na Kokoroiki
" and "Pikanchi
", were used as the theme songs for the anime
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
and Arashi's movie respectively.
Starting in 2003, the group would only release two singles every year until 2007. Both singles released in 2003, "Tomadoi Nagara
" and "Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono
", debuted at number two on the charts. The song "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono" marked the first time a member contributed to the penning of a single, as many of the group's songs are produced by other lyricists, composers, or musicians. Sakurai, who is the designated rapper of Arashi, has since written all the incorporated rap lyrics of the group's releases.
2004 was Arashi's fifth anniversary since debut. They began the year by releasing their twelfth single, "Pikanchi Double
", in February as the theme song for their second movie . Selling 89,106 copies in the first week, it is Arashi's lowest-selling single to date. In celebration of their anniversary, the group released a greatest hits album 5x5 The Best Selection of 2002–2004, which included their second 2004 single "Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy/Hero
".
In 2005, on New Year's Day
, Arashi released their first concert DVD since How's It Going? in 2003 titled 2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!!
. From July 26 to August 24, they embarked on a summer tour titled One to support their album of the same name
. One of the highlights of the tour included the live performance their first single of the year, "Sakura Sake
", on top of , a transparent stage that travels over the top of the audience. Invented by Matsumoto, "Johnny's Moving Stage" has since been used in a majority of Arashi's concerts to allow them to move closer to the audience seated at a distance from the main stage. In November, Arashi released a theme song for the manga
-based drama Hana Yori Dango
, which starred Matsumoto as one of the lead actors. "Wish" went on to sell an estimated 178,000 copies in its first week and over 300,000 copies by the end of its chart run, making it their first single sell over 300,000 copies in total in nearly three years since "A Day in Our Life" in 2002.
, was released not only in Japan, but also in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The album was successful in Korea as the first 10,000 copies of the album were sold out on the first day, and it even topped the non-Korean sales charts on the third week of July.
In the midst of Arashi's summer concert tour Arachic Arashic Arasick Cool and Soul, the group embarked on a publicity tour around Asia called Jet Storm Tour on July 31. The group visited Taiwan
, Thailand
and South Korea
, countries which later became part of their 2006 Asia tour, all in one day to hold press conferences and promote their Arashic album. For two days, September 16 and September 17, Arashi held their first concerts in Taipei
at the Taipei Arena
.
Performing "Arashi", "Wish" and "Kitto Daijōbu", which was their first single release of the year, the group represented Japan in the 3rd annual Asia Song Festival
in South Korea on September 22. Almost two months later, they became the first group from Johnny's to perform individual concerts in South Korea. According to The Korea Times
, the concerts in Korea were decided because about 1,500 Korean fans gathered at the Incheon International Airport
during the group's Jet Storm Tour. Arashi proved popular to Korean fans when their concert tickets were sold out in an hour, as some 150,000 people rushed to book tickets online.
The group returned to Japan to release their second and final the single of the year "Aozora Pedal
", which was written and composed by Japanese musician Shikao Suga
and used for Sakurai's movie Honey and Clover. Although Arashi had planned to return to Thailand to hold a concert on October 7, it was canceled due to a military coup d'état.
", the theme song for the high-rating drama Hana Yori Dango 2
, which peaked at the number-one spot on the Oricon daily and weekly charts. It is also Arashi's first single to sell more than 200,000 copies in a week in almost five years. Their nineteenth single "We Can Make It!
", released on May 2, also charted number-one on the Oricon daily and weekly charts.
In April, the group performed in one of their largest concerts: Arashi Around Asia in Dome, a continuation of their Triumphant Homecoming concert held in January, which was aimed to celebrate the successful Asia tour. Arashi Around Asia in Dome was held at the Kyocera Dome
in Osaka and at Tokyo Dome
, making it Arashi's first time performing there. On July 14, Arashi launched their summer tour titled Time – Kotoba no Chikara to support their seventh studio album Time
. The album sold over 190,000 copies in its first week, not only extending the group's string of number-one releases but also propelling the album to reach Platinum status by Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)
.
Also in July, the TBS
drama production of the manga Yamada Tarō Monogatari
, which starred Ninomiya and Sakurai, began. Arashi sang the theme song of the drama, titled "Happiness
", and released it on September 5 as their third single of the year. The year proved successful for the group as all of their singles ranked within the Top 30 of the annual Oricon charts, with "Love So Sweet" ranking fourth in single sales overall, making it the group's first single to rank within the Top 10 on the annual charts. "Love So Sweet" was also named one of The Best 10 Singles in the 22nd Japan Gold Disc Award
s in 2008.
", which debuted at the top of the Oricon weekly chart for having sold 324,223 copies, making it as the group's first single to exceed 300,000 copies sold in the first week since "Sunrise Nippon/Horizon" in 2000. The same month, it was announced that the group would be doing a concert tour of the five major domes in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. The tour, titled Arashi Marks 2008 Dream-A-Live, consisted of ten performances, from May 16 in Osaka to July 6 in Sapporo. The only other Johnny's artists who have done a five dome tour were SMAP
and KinKi Kids
. The tour also coincided with their eighth studio album, Dream "A" Live
, which was reported to be a hit with male buyers by Oricon despite the fact that most releases by Johnny's artists are geared towards female teens and young adults. In the midst of the tour, Arashi released their twenty-second single "One Love
", the theme song for the last production
of the Hana Yori Dango trilogy. Like "Step and Go", the single sold over 300,000 copies in its first week and charted at number-one of the weekly singles chart.
As the start of the group's second Asia tour, Arashi became the third musical group—after SMAP and Dreams Come True—to perform at the National Olympic Stadium
in Tokyo as their first major outdoor concert on September 5. The first two legs of the tour included a return to Taipei and Seoul while the third leg was a first time trip to Shanghai
. The concert in Shanghai also marked Johnny & Associates' first concert in China
. Almost a month after the release of "One Love", their twenty-third single, "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e
", was released. Debuting atop of the Oricon weekly charts, the double A-side single sold 467,288 copies. Before the group's concert in Shanghai on November 15, they released their fourth single of the year, "Beautiful Days
", which was used as the theme song for Ninomiya's drama Ryūsei no Kizuna
. Although "Beautiful Days" only had a little over a month to chart before the Oricon charting period for 2008 ended on December 11, the single managed to climb up to be the tenth best-selling single of the year. Their concert DVD Summer Tour 2007 Final Time - Kotoba no Chikara
, released on April 16, also ranked as the second best-selling music DVD of 2008 and ranked sixth place in the general DVD category.
.
At the end of June, Arashi announced their tenth anniversary tour Arashi Anniversary Tour 5x10, which included three consecutive shows at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. They became the first artist to play at the stadium for three consecutive days. Their third single of the year, "Everything
", was released on July 1 and sold nearly 342,000 copies in the first week. On August 19, Arashi released their greatest hits album All the Best! 1999–2009, which featured most of their singles since debut, a new song with lyrics written by the members themselves, and a limited edition third disc containing ten of the group's selections. The album sold over 753,000 copies in the first week. Thirteen days after the release, the album broke the one million mark, a first in Arashi's history. It became the first album of 2009 to break one million.
On November 11, Arashi released "My Girl
" as their last single of the year. It debuted atop of the Oricon daily chart by selling about 178,000 copies on the first day and about 432,000 copies by the end of its first week. It was announced on November 17 that Arashi had thus monopolized the top four best first-week sales for singles of 2009.
On November 20, Arashi held an event organized by House Foods
called Arashi in Tokyo DisneySea Premium Event. Reserving the entire theme park for one night, the group performed a special medley of Christmas songs
and their own songs such as "Arashi" and "One Love", which made the Arashi the first celebrity to sing their own songs at Tokyo DisneySea
.
Arashi attended the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
on New Year's Eve
, making it not only the group's first time performing on the show but also the first time in twenty-one years another group from Johnny's other than SMAP and Tokio
, the two traditional participants, performed at Kōhaku.
as the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics
news coverage on NTV. On January 6, Sakurai announced that Arashi would provide the theme song "Troublemaker"
for his then-upcoming comedy drama. The next day, Mezamashi TV
aired the first preview of the theme song for the drama special Saigo no Yakusoku
, the group's first drama together in nearly ten years. The theme song "Sora Takaku
" was announced during the press conference for the drama special on December 15, 2009. Of the three newly recorded songs, only "Troublemaker" and "Yurase, Ima o" were included in the group's first single of the year released on March 3, with "Troublemaker" being the A-side
song.
On February 24, the 24th Japan Gold Disc Awards awarded Arashi the "Artist of the Year" prize and nine other awards in various categories. As a result, they became the first artist to win ten awards at once.
It was announced on April 5 that Arashi would provide the theme song "Monster
", which was released on May 19 as a single, for Ohno's fantasy comedy drama based on Fujiko Fujio
's manga series Kaibutsu-kun
. On May 24, "Monster" debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly chart selling 543,000 copies in its first week, making Arashi the first act to have thirty consecutive singles rank in Oricon's weekly Top 3 since their debut.
On June 5, it was announced that the group was to release their first studio album in two years and four months since Dream "A" Live (April 2008) and hold a nationwide concert tour at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for four days and the five major domes in Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Although the four days are not consecutive, Arashi became the first to hold four concerts at the National Olympic Stadium in the same tour.
The group's song "Love Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the romance drama starring Matsumoto and Yūko Takeuchi
. "To Be Free", Arashi's third single of 2010, became the group's twentieth consecutive number-one single since "Pikanchi Double" (2004) on July 13. Together with Ohno's solo single , which was released on the same day as "To Be Free" and placed at number-two, Arashi and Ohno accomplished the rare feat of a group and a solo artist from the group simultaneously taking the top two spots for the first time in nearly ten years.
Arashi provided the theme song "Dear Snow" for the live-action movie adaptation of the award-winning Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
manga starring Ninomiya and Kou Shibasaki
. On August 10, Arashi's ninth studio album Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
placed at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. The album maintained its number-one spot in the second week, making it Arashi's first studio album to lead the Oricon weekly album chart for two consecutive weeks. By selling around another 125,000 copies, the album has sold a total of 856,000 copies. In September, Japan Airlines
(JAL) launched a domestic Boeing 777-200 bearing both the images of the members of Arashi and the title of their Boku no Miteiru Fūkei album, which will be sold with a specially designed cover in-flight. Japan Airlines will use the Arashi Jet until January 2011.
The song "Love Rainbow" was released as a single on September 8. It debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly singles chart and sold around 529,000 copies, making "Love Rainbow" the group's third 2010 single to surpass 500,000 copies sold in the first week. On October 12, Boku no Miteiru Fūkei sold a total of a million copies, making it the group's first studio album to sell over a million copies and the first album in Japan to reach a million copies sold in 2010. Additionally, "Dear Snow" was released as a single on October 6 and became Arashi's fourth 2010 single to sell over 500,000 copies in the first week.
The group released their sixth single of 2010, , on November 10. The single sold 572,000 copies in its first week, surpassing the group's old personal record of 557,000 copies sold in the first week set by their debut song "Arashi" in 1999. The group became the first male artist to achieve six number-one singles in a year. On December 31, 2010, Arashi co-hosted the 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
with Nao Matsushita
, becoming the first group to host the show.
" as a single on February 23, 2011. "Lotus" was also adopted as the theme song for Aiba's drama .
Released on January 26, 2011, Arashi's music DVD Arashi 10–11 Tour "Scene": Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fūkei – Stadium sold 618,000 copies in its first week, making it the first music DVD in Oricon history to sell over 600,000 copies in the first week. The DVD sold another 59,000 copies, bringing the total to an estimate of 677,000 copies sold and pushing the group's overall music DVD sales to 4,014,000 copies. As a result, Arashi became the first artist in Oricon history to sell over four million DVDs.
In early May 2011, the group announced their new tour with concerts in July, September, and January 2012 called the "Beautiful World Concert Tour". The group then announced on May 19, 2011 that they will hold charity events at Tokyo Dome for three days starting June 24, 2011, release their tenth studio album titled Beautiful World on July 6, 2011, and start their nationwide concert tour on July 24, 2011. According to Matsumoto, the title was chosen to reflect on Arashi's thoughts on the future of Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake
. Their nationwide tour will be held at four of the five major domes and the National Olympic Stadium, making it the group's fourth consecutive year performing at the stadium.
On June 22, 2011, Oricon announced that the group's second music DVD Arashi 10–11 Tour "Scene": Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fūkei – Dome+ sold 539,000 copies in its first week of sales, pushing their all-time DVD sales to 5.282 million, making them the first Japanese artist to sell over five million DVDs.
On October 19, 2011, NHK announced Arashi and actress Mao Inoue as the hosts for the 62nd Kouhaku Uta Gassen. This will be the second year in a row for Arashi to be in charge of the White Team.
On November 2, 2011, the group released their 36th single, Meikyū Love Song (迷宮ラブソング). Meikyū Love Song was adapted as the ending theme song for Sakurai's drama 'Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de'. The single sold over 240,000 copies on the first day and over 530,000 copies in the first week .
Compilation albums
for events. A short Fuji TV
drama
called V no Arashi became one of the group's first activities together as it was broadcast just about a month after the announcement of their formation in Hawaii. Although it would not be until 2010 would the group act in another drama together titled Saigo no Yakusoku
, they have worked together on movies in 2002, 2004, and 2007.
Since 2001, Arashi has hosted their own variety shows
, starting with Mayonaka no Arashi on NTV
. On NTV, the group was a regular late-night presence as they had a string of shows that aired around midnight: C no Arashi, D no Arashi
, G no Arashi, and Arashi no Shukudai-kun. Before VS Arashi was moved from an afternoon timeslot to Golden Time in 2009, Arashi was also a regular afternoon presence on Fuji TV as they had a string of shows that aired around 1:00 p.m. (JST
) since 2002: Nama Arashi: Live Storm, Arashi no Waza-Ari, Mago Mago Arashi
and Golden Rush Arashi.
Besides their NTV television specials that would air almost twice a year around 7:00 p.m. (JST), Arashi did not have any variety shows that aired during primetime until TBS
gave the group their first primetime show titled Himitsu no Arashi-chan in 2008. In 2010, NTV began to broadcast another Arashi-hosted primetime show titled Arashi ni Shiyagare.
, House Foods
, and au by KDDI
. Since 2008, Arashi has been appearing in au by KDDI's exclusive mobile phone commercials. In 2010, Arashi began to endorse for Nintendo
by appearing in Wii Party
commercials to promote the game. Most of Arashi's singles have been used as theme songs for dramas such as Stand Up!!
and Maō
, movies such as Hana Yori Dango Final
and Yatterman, and commercials.
In 2004, "Hero
" was used as the theme song for the 2004 Summer Olympics
news coverage on NTV
. In 2008, "Kaze no Mukō e
" was used for the 2008 Summer Olympics
on NTV. In 2010, their song "Yurase, Ima o"
was used as the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics news coverage on NTV.
On April 8, 2010, the Japan Tourism Agency
appointed Arashi as the navigators for their "Japan Endless Discovery" national tourism campaign. Arashi appeared in commercials, which aired in East Asia
, to encourage people from overseas to visit Japan.
(approx. US$11,902,822.61) in donations, which is the second-highest amount of donations in 24-Hour Television history to date.
After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake
in March, Arashi considered canceling their concerts scheduled from June 24 to June 26, 2011 at Tokyo Dome. However, in April, they decided that they will use those three days to hold charity events instead. Part of the proceeds from a possible total audience of 225,000 will be donated to charity. It was also announced on May 19, 2011 that Arashi will release a pocket-sized version of their book Nippon no Arashi, which originally distributed to 40,000 schools in 2010. All of the revenue will be given to charity.
On November 4, 2011, it was reported that Arashi donated approximately 300 million yen to the disaster-stricken regions in northern Japan. The group split their donations between the Iwate, Mitagi, and Fukushima prefectures, with each one receiving about 100 million yen. About 50 million yen comprises the members’ total royalties received from the sale of the pocket edition of their book Nippon no Arashi. The remaining amount comes from the publisher’s revenues on the book and from the sale of goods at their charity event at Tokyo Dome in June.
categories. In 2010, Arashi became Japan's top-selling artist for the second year in a row, with more than 17.16 billion yen (approx. US$204,321,424) worth of sales in seven categories: total gross sales for an artist, total gross single sales for an artist, copies sold for an album, gross sales for an album, copies sold for a music DVD, gross sales for a music DVD, and total gross music DVD sales for an artist.
Billboard Japan Music Awards
The Billboard Japan Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony established by Billboard
. Arashi has received two awards.
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2010
| rowspan="2"| "Troublemaker
"
| Hot 100 of the Year
|
|-
| Hot 100 Singles Sales of the Year
|
Japan Gold Disc Awards
The Japan Gold Disc Award
s is an annual music awards ceremony established by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
in 1987. Arashi has received twenty-two awards.
|-
| 2008
| "Love So Sweet
"
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| rowspan="5"| 2009
| rowspan="2"| "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e
"
| Single of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| "One Love
"
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| "Beautiful Days
"
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| Summer Tour 2007 Final Time
| The Best Music Videos
|
|-
| rowspan="10"| 2010
| Arashi
| Artist of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| "Believe/Kumorinochi, Kaisei"
| Single of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "Everything
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "My Girl
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| All the Best! 1999–2009
| Album of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 5 Albums
|
|-
| Arashi Around Asia 2008 in Tokyo
| The Best Music Videos
|
|-
| 5x10 All the Best! Clips 1999–2009
| The Best Music Videos
|
|-
| rowspan="6"| 2011
| Arashi
| Artist of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
| Album of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 5 Albums
|
|-
| "Troublemaker
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "Monster
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| Arashi Anniversary Tour 5x10
| The Best Music Videos
|
Television Drama Academy Awards
The Television Drama Academy Awards is a quarterly Japanese drama
awards ceremony held by the magazine The Television. Arashi has received six awards from thirteen nominations.
|-
| 2001
| "Jidai
"
|rowspan="13"| Best Theme Song
|
|-
| 2002
| "A Day in Our Life"
|
|-
| 2003
| "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono
"
|
|-
| 2004
| "Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy
"
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2007
| "We Can Make It!
"
|
|-
| "Happiness
"
|
|-
| 2008
| "Beautiful Days
"
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 2009
| "Ashita no Kioku
"
|
|-
| "My Girl
"
|
|-
|rowspan="3"| 2010
| "Troublemaker
"
|
|-
| "Monster
"
|
|-
| "Love Rainbow"
|
|-
| 2011
| "Hatenai Sora
"
|
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The group was initially signed to Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
and released one studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
and six singles—beginning with their 1999 eponymous debut single—before moving to the Johnny's subsidiary label J Storm
J Storm
is a Japanese music and film company owned by Johnny & Associates. It was established on November 12, 2001, initially as a label for the Johnny's group, Arashi, after which it was named ....
in 2001, which was initially set up for their succeeding releases. While their debut single debuted atop the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly chart selling a little over half a million copies, the group subsequently faced slowly declining sales.
With the release of their eighteenth single "Love So Sweet
Love so sweet
"Love So Sweet" is the eighteenth single by the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing a bonus secret track and karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track entitled "Fight Song"...
", Arashi began gaining commercial success as "Love So Sweet" was used as the opening theme song for the high-rating drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
Hana Yori Dango 2
Hana Yori Dango Returns (TV series)
Hana Yori Dango Returns is a Japanese television drama series, broadcast on TBS in 2007. It is the sequel to 2005 Hana Yori Dango TV series, based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio, and followed by movie adaptation Hana Yori Dango Final.-Synopsis:Hana Yori Dango returns for...
, making it one of the top five best-selling singles of 2007 in Japan and the group's first single to exceed 400,000 copies sold overall in nearly seven years. For the next two years, Arashi gained a number of achievements and records as they became the first artist to place the top two rankings on the Oricon singles yearly chart for two consecutive years with their singles "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e
Truth/Kaze no Muko e
is a single released by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on August 20, 2008 by their record label J Storm. "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e" was released in three formats: a regular edition and two limited editions...
" and "One Love
One Love (Arashi song)
"One Love" is the twenty-second single of the Japanese boy band, Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing only the title track and a DVD of the music video...
" in 2008 and "Believe/Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon (Kimi wa Muteki)" in 2009, simultaneously topped the 2009 Oricon singles, album and music DVD yearly charts, and became the third artist in Oricon history to monopolize the top three best-selling singles of the year. In 2010, all six of Arashi's singles ranked within the top ten of the Oricon singles yearly chart, and their million-selling studio album Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
is the ninth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 4, 2010 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a first press version and a regular version. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. As...
was named the best-selling album of the year in Japan.
1999–2001: Debut and departure from Pony Canyon
Johnny & Associates announced the group's debut on November 3, 1999 through a press conference aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii. Then-president Johnny KitagawaJohnny Kitagawa
, born , is the founder and president of Johnny & Associates, a production agency for numerous popular boy bands in Japan. Kitagawa assembled, produced and managed more than a dozen popular bands, including SMAP, Arashi, Kanjani8, Hey! Say! JUMP, V6, NEWS and KAT-TUN. Kitagawa's influence has...
chose five trainees from the Johnny's Jr.
Johnny's Jr.
is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet officially debuted either with a unit or as a solo act. The juniors are mostly younger than 30, with the exception of Sano Mizuki.- A.B.C-Z : is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet...
division of the agency to become the members of Arashi, the Japanese word for Storm, and to represent the agency's thrust of "creating a storm throughout the world". On November 3, 1999, they made their CD debut by releasing the single "Arashi", which became the theme song for the Volleyball World Cup
Volleyball World Cup
The FIVB World Cup is a men's and women's volleyball competition. Created in 1965 and 1973 , it is an international qualification event for the Olympic Games...
hosted by Japan in 1999. It went on to become a major hit, selling 557,430 copies in its first week and almost a million copies by the end of its chart run.
On April 5, 2000, Arashi released their second single "Sunrise Nippon/Horizon
Sunrise Nippon/Horizon
-Charts:-Sales and certifications:-Release history:-External links:* * *...
", which debuted at number-one on the Oricon
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
weekly singles chart selling 304,340 copies. The next day, the group began their first concert tour at Osaka Hall
Osaka-jo Hall
, or Osaka Castle Hall, is a multi-purpose arena, in the Kyōbashi area, of Osaka, Japan. The hall opened in 1983 and can seat up to 16,000 people...
. In July, the group released their next single "Typhoon Generation
Typhoon Generation
-Chart performance:By selling 256,510 copies, the single debuted at number three on the Oricon weekly singles chart.-Charts:-Sales and certifications:-External links:* * *...
", which debuted at number three on the weekly singles chart with 256,510 copies sold and continued to chart for nine weeks before leaving the charts. After holding more concerts in August, the group released their last single of 2000, "Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi
Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi
is the fourth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions. While both the regular edition and limited edition contains two songs and its instrumentals, the two have different covers and only the limited edition included a set of stickers.-Single...
". The single debuted at number two on the Oricon weekly singles chart and had first-week sales of 258,720.
In January 2001, Arashi released their first studio album Arashi No.1 Ichigou: Arashi wa Arashi o Yobu!. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart with initial sales of 267,220 copies. Until the release of their tenth anniversary compilation album All the Best! 1999–2009, the album remained the group's best-selling album with overall sales of about 323,030 for nearly ten years. From March 25 to April 30, 2001, the group embarked on their first nationwide concert tour Arashi Spring Concert 2001. The tour took place in Sendai, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaidō, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Toyama, and Tokyo with an unprecedented twenty-six performances. Before moving to a private record label by the end of 2001, Arashi released "Jidai
Jidai
is the sixth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions. While both the regular edition and limited edition contains two songs and its instrumentals, the two have different covers and only the limited edition included cards and a poster.-Single...
" as their final single under Pony Canyon
Pony Canyon
is a Japanese company, established on October 1, 1966 , which publishes music, DVD and VHS videos, movies and video games. It is a subsidiary of Japanese Media Group, Fujisankei Communications Group.-History:...
. Used as the theme song for Matsumoto's drama Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo 3, it was named Best Theme Song in the 30th Television Drama Academy Awards.
2002–2005: J Storm and decline in sales
Arashi began 2002 by releasing their first single under J StormJ Storm
is a Japanese music and film company owned by Johnny & Associates. It was established on November 12, 2001, initially as a label for the Johnny's group, Arashi, after which it was named ....
. "A Day in Our Life" was used as the theme song for Sakurai's comedy drama Kisarazu Cat's Eye
Kisarazu Cat's Eye
is a humorous Japanese television show and movie series. To date, there have been two Kisarazu Cat's Eye movies:Kisarazu Cat's Eye Nihon Series and Kisarazu Cat's Eye World Series .-Synopsis:...
and debuted atop of the Oricon weekly singles chart selling 226,480 copies. Their subsequent releases of the year, "Nice na Kokoroiki
Nice na Kokoroiki
is the eighth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions. While both the regular edition and limited edition contains the song and its instrumental, the two editions differ in covers and sizes: the regular edition being twelve centimeters and the limited edition...
" and "Pikanchi
Pikanchi
"Pikanchi" is the ninth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition with the song and its instrumental and a limited edition with ", the insert song used throughout the movie, and a deluxe cover.-Single information:Debuting at the top of the...
", were used as the theme songs for the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo
, full title , is a long-running comedy manga by Osamu Akimoto. It has been continuously serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump since September 1976, with over 1700 chapters published, making it the longest-running manga series in history...
and Arashi's movie respectively.
Starting in 2003, the group would only release two singles every year until 2007. Both singles released in 2003, "Tomadoi Nagara
Tomadoi Nagara
is the tenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in 2003 in two editions: a regular edition and a limited edition with a deluxe cover art...
" and "Hadashi no Mirai/Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono
Hadashi No Mirai/Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono
is the eleventh single of the Japanese boy band Arashi and their second double A-side single. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition with a deluxe cover art.-Single...
", debuted at number two on the charts. The song "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono" marked the first time a member contributed to the penning of a single, as many of the group's songs are produced by other lyricists, composers, or musicians. Sakurai, who is the designated rapper of Arashi, has since written all the incorporated rap lyrics of the group's releases.
2004 was Arashi's fifth anniversary since debut. They began the year by releasing their twelfth single, "Pikanchi Double
Pikanchi Double
"Pikanchi Double" is the twelfth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition with a deluxe cover art and a bonus track.-Single information:"Pikanchi...
", in February as the theme song for their second movie . Selling 89,106 copies in the first week, it is Arashi's lowest-selling single to date. In celebration of their anniversary, the group released a greatest hits album 5x5 The Best Selection of 2002–2004, which included their second 2004 single "Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy/Hero
Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy/Hero
is the thirteenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in three editions: a regular edition containing a bonus track and karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and two limited editions, both containing a DVD with a music video of one of the A-side tracks...
".
In 2005, on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, Arashi released their first concert DVD since How's It Going? in 2003 titled 2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!!
2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!!
2004 Arashi! Iza, Now Tour!! is the video release of Japanese boyband Arashi which documented their 2004 summer concert tour in conjunction with the promotion and release of their album, Iza, Now!...
. From July 26 to August 24, they embarked on a summer tour titled One to support their album of the same name
One (Arashi album)
One is the fifth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 3, 2005 in Japan in two editions: a limited CD+DVD version and a regular CD version.-Album information:...
. One of the highlights of the tour included the live performance their first single of the year, "Sakura Sake
Sakura Sake
is the fourteenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a DVD with the music video of the single....
", on top of , a transparent stage that travels over the top of the audience. Invented by Matsumoto, "Johnny's Moving Stage" has since been used in a majority of Arashi's concerts to allow them to move closer to the audience seated at a distance from the main stage. In November, Arashi released a theme song for the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
-based drama Hana Yori Dango
Hana Yori Dango (TV series)
Hana Yori Dango is a Japanese television drama series, broadcast on TBS in 2005. It is based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio. The series is the third television adaptation of the manga following Meteor Garden and its sequel Meteor Garden II in Taiwan. It also resulted in...
, which starred Matsumoto as one of the lead actors. "Wish" went on to sell an estimated 178,000 copies in its first week and over 300,000 copies by the end of its chart run, making it their first single sell over 300,000 copies in total in nearly three years since "A Day in Our Life" in 2002.
2006: International activities in Asia
By 2006, the group's singles and albums were being released outside of Japan. Their studio album, ArashicArashic
Arashic is the sixth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on July 5, 2006 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited CD+DVD version and a regular CD version. The album was the first album of the group to be released not only in Japan, but in...
, was released not only in Japan, but also in Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. The album was successful in Korea as the first 10,000 copies of the album were sold out on the first day, and it even topped the non-Korean sales charts on the third week of July.
In the midst of Arashi's summer concert tour Arachic Arashic Arasick Cool and Soul, the group embarked on a publicity tour around Asia called Jet Storm Tour on July 31. The group visited Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, countries which later became part of their 2006 Asia tour, all in one day to hold press conferences and promote their Arashic album. For two days, September 16 and September 17, Arashi held their first concerts in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
at the Taipei Arena
Taipei Arena
Taipei Arena is an indoor sporting arena located in Taipei, Taiwan. Built in 2005, the large multi-purpose stadium can accommodate major international sport events such as ice skating, ice hockey, gymnastics, handball, basketball, tennis, badminton, table tennis, indoor soccer, boxing, judo,...
.
Performing "Arashi", "Wish" and "Kitto Daijōbu", which was their first single release of the year, the group represented Japan in the 3rd annual Asia Song Festival
Asia song festival
Asia Song Festival, aka A-Song-Fe or ASF, is an annual Asian pop music festival held in South Korea, since 2004. It is hosted by Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange and features artists from Asian countries...
in South Korea on September 22. Almost two months later, they became the first group from Johnny's to perform individual concerts in South Korea. According to The Korea Times
The Korea Times
The Korea Times is the oldest of three English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea, along with The Korea Herald and The JoongAng Daily. It is part of the same newspaper group as Hankook Ilbo, a major Korean language daily...
, the concerts in Korea were decided because about 1,500 Korean fans gathered at the Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport
Incheon International Airport is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul national capital area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world...
during the group's Jet Storm Tour. Arashi proved popular to Korean fans when their concert tickets were sold out in an hour, as some 150,000 people rushed to book tickets online.
The group returned to Japan to release their second and final the single of the year "Aozora Pedal
Aozora Pedal
is the seventeenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in three editions: a regular edition containing a bonus track and karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and two limited editions containing either a DVD with the music video or the making-of video...
", which was written and composed by Japanese musician Shikao Suga
Shikao Suga
is a Japanese musician and singer-songwriter from Tokyo. Though he uses katakana for his recording name, the kanji for his name are 菅 止戈男, but the romanization is the same. Suga is his family name and Shikao is his given name....
and used for Sakurai's movie Honey and Clover. Although Arashi had planned to return to Thailand to hold a concert on October 7, it was canceled due to a military coup d'état.
2007: Returning to the Japanese market
On February 21, the group released their first single of the year, "Love So SweetLove so sweet
"Love So Sweet" is the eighteenth single by the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing a bonus secret track and karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track entitled "Fight Song"...
", the theme song for the high-rating drama Hana Yori Dango 2
Hana Yori Dango Returns (TV series)
Hana Yori Dango Returns is a Japanese television drama series, broadcast on TBS in 2007. It is the sequel to 2005 Hana Yori Dango TV series, based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio, and followed by movie adaptation Hana Yori Dango Final.-Synopsis:Hana Yori Dango returns for...
, which peaked at the number-one spot on the Oricon daily and weekly charts. It is also Arashi's first single to sell more than 200,000 copies in a week in almost five years. Their nineteenth single "We Can Make It!
We Can Make It!
"We Can Make It!" is the nineteenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track and a set of cards enclosed in a clear plastic...
", released on May 2, also charted number-one on the Oricon daily and weekly charts.
In April, the group performed in one of their largest concerts: Arashi Around Asia in Dome, a continuation of their Triumphant Homecoming concert held in January, which was aimed to celebrate the successful Asia tour. Arashi Around Asia in Dome was held at the Kyocera Dome
Osaka Dome
Osaka Dome is a baseball stadium located in Osaka, Japan. Beginning in 1997, the stadium was the home field of the Kintetsu Buffaloes. In 2005, the stadium became one of the homes of the Orix Buffaloes, a result of the merger between the Orix Blue Wave and Kintetsu Buffaloes. Prior to the Osaka...
in Osaka and at Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome
Tokyo Dome is a 55,000-seat baseball stadium located in Bunkyo Ward of Tokyo, Japan.The stadium opened for business on March 17, 1988. It was built on the site of the Velodrome which was next door to the site of the predecessor ballpark, Kōrakuen Stadium...
, making it Arashi's first time performing there. On July 14, Arashi launched their summer tour titled Time – Kotoba no Chikara to support their seventh studio album Time
Time (Arashi album)
Time is the seventh studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on July 11, 2007 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited 2CD version and a regular CD version.-Album information:...
. The album sold over 190,000 copies in its first week, not only extending the group's string of number-one releases but also propelling the album to reach Platinum status by Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ)
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
.
Also in July, the TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
drama production of the manga Yamada Tarō Monogatari
Yamada Taro Monogatari
is a Japanese manga series created by Ai Morinaga. The manga series, published by Kadokawa Shoten, ran from 1996-2000 with a total of fourteen volumes. Besides, after the ending of the series...
, which starred Ninomiya and Sakurai, began. Arashi sang the theme song of the drama, titled "Happiness
Happiness (Arashi song)
"Happiness" is the twentieth single of the Japanese boy band, Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track...
", and released it on September 5 as their third single of the year. The year proved successful for the group as all of their singles ranked within the Top 30 of the annual Oricon charts, with "Love So Sweet" ranking fourth in single sales overall, making it the group's first single to rank within the Top 10 on the annual charts. "Love So Sweet" was also named one of The Best 10 Singles in the 22nd Japan Gold Disc Award
Japan Gold Disc Award
The Japan Gold Disc Awards for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.- List of the Artists of the Year :************...
s in 2008.
2008: Rising popularity in Japan
The group's success in 2007 sparked renewed public interest. In February, Arashi released their first single of the year, "Step and GoStep and Go
"Step and Go" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released as a CD single in three editions: a regular edition containing instrumental versions of all the songs, a limited edition containing a DVD, and a special "Cubic Box" edition, which was only available to members of the...
", which debuted at the top of the Oricon weekly chart for having sold 324,223 copies, making it as the group's first single to exceed 300,000 copies sold in the first week since "Sunrise Nippon/Horizon" in 2000. The same month, it was announced that the group would be doing a concert tour of the five major domes in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, and Sapporo. The tour, titled Arashi Marks 2008 Dream-A-Live, consisted of ten performances, from May 16 in Osaka to July 6 in Sapporo. The only other Johnny's artists who have done a five dome tour were SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
and KinKi Kids
KinKi Kids
is a Japanese duo consisting of Koichi Domoto and Tsuyoshi Domoto under the talent agency Johnny & Associates. Although the members share the same surname, the only relation they have to each other is that they both hail from the Kinki region, hence the duo's name....
. The tour also coincided with their eighth studio album, Dream "A" Live
Dream "A" Live
-Chart performance:The album debuted at the number one on the Oricon singles daily chart upon its release with the sales index number of 57,795 . By the end of its first week, the album sold a total of 220,722 copies...
, which was reported to be a hit with male buyers by Oricon despite the fact that most releases by Johnny's artists are geared towards female teens and young adults. In the midst of the tour, Arashi released their twenty-second single "One Love
One Love (Arashi song)
"One Love" is the twenty-second single of the Japanese boy band, Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing only the title track and a DVD of the music video...
", the theme song for the last production
Hana Yori Dango Final
Hana Yori Dango Final is a 2008 Japanese film, directed by Yasuharu Ishii, and starring Mao Inoue and Jun Matsumoto. The film is the last chapter of the Hana Yori Dango trilogy in Japan, based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio....
of the Hana Yori Dango trilogy. Like "Step and Go", the single sold over 300,000 copies in its first week and charted at number-one of the weekly singles chart.
As the start of the group's second Asia tour, Arashi became the third musical group—after SMAP and Dreams Come True—to perform at the National Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Tokyo)
or National Stadium is a stadium in Kasumigaoka, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan that served as the main stadium for the 1964 Summer Olympics. It currently serves as the stadium where the Japan national football teams home matches and major football club cup finals are held.-History:The stadium was...
in Tokyo as their first major outdoor concert on September 5. The first two legs of the tour included a return to Taipei and Seoul while the third leg was a first time trip to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. The concert in Shanghai also marked Johnny & Associates' first concert in China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Almost a month after the release of "One Love", their twenty-third single, "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e
Truth/Kaze no Muko e
is a single released by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on August 20, 2008 by their record label J Storm. "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e" was released in three formats: a regular edition and two limited editions...
", was released. Debuting atop of the Oricon weekly charts, the double A-side single sold 467,288 copies. Before the group's concert in Shanghai on November 15, they released their fourth single of the year, "Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days (song)
"Beautiful Days" is the twenty-fourth single from the Japanese boy band Arashi. It was used as the theme song for the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna, starring Arashi member Kazunari Ninomiya....
", which was used as the theme song for Ninomiya's drama Ryūsei no Kizuna
Ryusei no Kizuna
is a novel by the famous mystery writer Keigo Higashino and also a Japanese television drama adapted from the novel. The novel was released on March 5, 2008, after being serialized in Weekly Gendai from September 16, 2006 until September 15, 2007...
. Although "Beautiful Days" only had a little over a month to chart before the Oricon charting period for 2008 ended on December 11, the single managed to climb up to be the tenth best-selling single of the year. Their concert DVD Summer Tour 2007 Final Time - Kotoba no Chikara
Summer Tour 2007 Final Time - Kotoba no Chikara
is a DVD release of Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on April 16, 2008 by their record label J Storm. Summer Tour 2007 Final Time: Kotoba no Chikara documented Arashi's summer concert at Tokyo Dome in correspondence with their Time album....
, released on April 16, also ranked as the second best-selling music DVD of 2008 and ranked sixth place in the general DVD category.
2009: 10th anniversary
The group released two double A-side singles, "Believe/Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon (Kimi wa Muteki)", on March 4 and May 27 respectively. Both singles sold over 500,000 copies in first week sales, making Arashi the first artist to have two consecutive singles exceed the 500,000 mark within a week in seven years seven months since Keisuke KuwataKeisuke Kuwata
has gained fame as a Japanese multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and frontman for the Southern All-Stars, as well as his own solo band, the Kuwata band. He has also done significant amount of scoring music for films. He went to Aoyama Gakuin University....
.
At the end of June, Arashi announced their tenth anniversary tour Arashi Anniversary Tour 5x10, which included three consecutive shows at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. They became the first artist to play at the stadium for three consecutive days. Their third single of the year, "Everything
Everything (Arashi song)
"Everything" is a song recorded by Japanese pop boy band Arashi. It was released on July 1, 2009 by their record label J Storm. "Everything" was used as the theme song for the au by KDDI commercials, featuring Arashi as the endorsers. It was released as a CD single in two formats: a regular edition...
", was released on July 1 and sold nearly 342,000 copies in the first week. On August 19, Arashi released their greatest hits album All the Best! 1999–2009, which featured most of their singles since debut, a new song with lyrics written by the members themselves, and a limited edition third disc containing ten of the group's selections. The album sold over 753,000 copies in the first week. Thirteen days after the release, the album broke the one million mark, a first in Arashi's history. It became the first album of 2009 to break one million.
On November 11, Arashi released "My Girl
My Girl (Arashi song)
-Chart performance:On the issue date of October 26, 2009, the song, "My Girl" debuted on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart at number fifty-one. On its fifth week on the chart, the song jumped from number forty-one to number-one during the week of November 28, 2009...
" as their last single of the year. It debuted atop of the Oricon daily chart by selling about 178,000 copies on the first day and about 432,000 copies by the end of its first week. It was announced on November 17 that Arashi had thus monopolized the top four best first-week sales for singles of 2009.
On November 20, Arashi held an event organized by House Foods
House Foods
is one of Japan's largest food manufacturers and brands. It began in 1913 in Osaka as Urakami Shoten, and began selling curry in 1926.It is listed on Section 1 of both Tokyo and Osaka Stock Exchanges, symbol 2810. It is headquartered in Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan.House Foods is well known for its...
called Arashi in Tokyo DisneySea Premium Event. Reserving the entire theme park for one night, the group performed a special medley of Christmas songs
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
and their own songs such as "Arashi" and "One Love", which made the Arashi the first celebrity to sing their own songs at Tokyo DisneySea
Tokyo DisneySea
is a 176-acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, just outside Tokyo. It opened on September 4, 2001. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. Tokyo DisneySea attracted an estimated 12 million visitors in...
.
Arashi attended the 60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
60th NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
The , referred to from hereon as "Kōhaku", was aired on December 31, 2009 from NHK Hall in Japan.-Performers:The singers, announced on November 23, 2009, are ordered below according to the gojūon....
on New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, making it not only the group's first time performing on the show but also the first time in twenty-one years another group from Johnny's other than SMAP and Tokio
Tokio (band)
Tokio is a Japanese rock/pop band formed by Johnny & Associates that debuted in 1994. It is made up of five men who were signed with Sony Music Entertainment from 1994 to 2001, with Universal Music Japan from 2001 to 2008, and are now signed under J Storm, a label owned by Johnny & Associates...
, the two traditional participants, performed at Kōhaku.
2010: Continued success
On January 5, it was announced that Arashi would provide the song "Yurase, Ima o"Troublemaker (Arashi song)
"Troublemaker" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 3, 2010 by their record label J Storm. "Troublemaker" was used as the theme song to the drama starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai...
as the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
news coverage on NTV. On January 6, Sakurai announced that Arashi would provide the theme song "Troublemaker"
Troublemaker (Arashi song)
"Troublemaker" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 3, 2010 by their record label J Storm. "Troublemaker" was used as the theme song to the drama starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai...
for his then-upcoming comedy drama. The next day, Mezamashi TV
Mezamashi TV
Mezamashi TV is a Japanese news magazine show broadcast every weekday on Fuji TV from 5:25 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. but not on TV Oita because there is "ZIP!" produced and copyrighted by Nippon TV on TV Oita....
aired the first preview of the theme song for the drama special Saigo no Yakusoku
Saigo no Yakusoku
was a Japanese drama special starring the members of Japanese boy band Arashi in their first drama together in nearly ten years.-Plot:Janitors Satoru Mashiko and Haruo Iio are driving towards Energy Bio Corporation for work when motorcycle courier Nozomu Gotō passes by them...
, the group's first drama together in nearly ten years. The theme song "Sora Takaku
Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
is the ninth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 4, 2010 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a first press version and a regular version. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. As...
" was announced during the press conference for the drama special on December 15, 2009. Of the three newly recorded songs, only "Troublemaker" and "Yurase, Ima o" were included in the group's first single of the year released on March 3, with "Troublemaker" being the A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
song.
On February 24, the 24th Japan Gold Disc Awards awarded Arashi the "Artist of the Year" prize and nine other awards in various categories. As a result, they became the first artist to win ten awards at once.
It was announced on April 5 that Arashi would provide the theme song "Monster
Monster (Arashi song)
-Chart performance:The single sold about 232,000 copies on the first day of its release on May 19, 2010, debuting at number one on the Oricon singles daily chart. On the Oricon singles weekly chart, the single placed at number one, selling about 543,000 copies...
", which was released on May 19 as a single, for Ohno's fantasy comedy drama based on Fujiko Fujio
Fujiko Fujio
was a nom de plume of a manga writing duo formed by two Japanese manga artists. Their real names are and . They formed their partnership in 1951, and used the Fujiko Fujio name from 1954 until dissolution of the partnership in 1987....
's manga series Kaibutsu-kun
Kaibutsu-kun
is a shōnen manga and anime series by Fujiko Fujio named after its protagonist.-About:Kaibutsu-kun and his companions, Dracula, Wolfman, and Franken, travel from Monster Land to the Human Realm, where they encounter and battle several monsters, mainly assassins from the demon group...
. On May 24, "Monster" debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly chart selling 543,000 copies in its first week, making Arashi the first act to have thirty consecutive singles rank in Oricon's weekly Top 3 since their debut.
On June 5, it was announced that the group was to release their first studio album in two years and four months since Dream "A" Live (April 2008) and hold a nationwide concert tour at the National Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for four days and the five major domes in Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Although the four days are not consecutive, Arashi became the first to hold four concerts at the National Olympic Stadium in the same tour.
The group's song "Love Rainbow" was used as the theme song for the romance drama starring Matsumoto and Yūko Takeuchi
Yuko Takeuchi
is a Japanese actress. She made her big break with NHK's television series Asuka and JT Green's commercial. She has gone on to star in many TV shows, movies, and commercials....
. "To Be Free", Arashi's third single of 2010, became the group's twentieth consecutive number-one single since "Pikanchi Double" (2004) on July 13. Together with Ohno's solo single , which was released on the same day as "To Be Free" and placed at number-two, Arashi and Ohno accomplished the rare feat of a group and a solo artist from the group simultaneously taking the top two spots for the first time in nearly ten years.
Arashi provided the theme song "Dear Snow" for the live-action movie adaptation of the award-winning Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
Ōoku: The Inner Chambers
is an ongoing Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fumi Yoshinaga. The plot follows an alternate history of medieval Japan in which an unknown disease kills most of the male population, leading to a matriarchal society in which the Ōoku becomes a harem of men serving the now female...
manga starring Ninomiya and Kou Shibasaki
Kou Shibasaki
, born Yukie Yamamura, on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese singer and actress.-Music career:Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the...
. On August 10, Arashi's ninth studio album Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
is the ninth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 4, 2010 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a first press version and a regular version. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. As...
placed at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. The album maintained its number-one spot in the second week, making it Arashi's first studio album to lead the Oricon weekly album chart for two consecutive weeks. By selling around another 125,000 copies, the album has sold a total of 856,000 copies. In September, Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines
is an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
(JAL) launched a domestic Boeing 777-200 bearing both the images of the members of Arashi and the title of their Boku no Miteiru Fūkei album, which will be sold with a specially designed cover in-flight. Japan Airlines will use the Arashi Jet until January 2011.
The song "Love Rainbow" was released as a single on September 8. It debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly singles chart and sold around 529,000 copies, making "Love Rainbow" the group's third 2010 single to surpass 500,000 copies sold in the first week. On October 12, Boku no Miteiru Fūkei sold a total of a million copies, making it the group's first studio album to sell over a million copies and the first album in Japan to reach a million copies sold in 2010. Additionally, "Dear Snow" was released as a single on October 6 and became Arashi's fourth 2010 single to sell over 500,000 copies in the first week.
The group released their sixth single of 2010, , on November 10. The single sold 572,000 copies in its first week, surpassing the group's old personal record of 557,000 copies sold in the first week set by their debut song "Arashi" in 1999. The group became the first male artist to achieve six number-one singles in a year. On December 31, 2010, Arashi co-hosted the 61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
61st NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen
The , referred to from hereon as "Kōhaku", aired on December 31, 2010 from NHK Hall in Japan.This was the last time the Kōhaku was broadcast in analog television transmission. As of July 24, 2011 the digital television switchover throughout Japan will occur, when analog signals will be shut off...
with Nao Matsushita
Nao Matsushita
is a Japanese actress and singer.- History :Nao was born in Kawanishi, Hyōgo on 8 February 1985. Winning Japan's Elite Model Look started her modeling career in earnest.She attended the Tokyo College of Music.-Singles:...
, becoming the first group to host the show.
2011–present
On January 5, 2011, the 25th Japan Gold Disc Awards awarded Arashi the "Artist of the Year" prize for the second year in a row. It was announced on January 15, 2011 that Arashi would release the song "LotusLotus (Arashi song)
"Lotus" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on February 23, 2011 by their record label J Storm. "Lotus" is currently being used as the theme song to the drama Bartender starring Arashi member Masaki Aiba. The single debuted at No. 1 on the Oricon weekly charts.-Track list:...
" as a single on February 23, 2011. "Lotus" was also adopted as the theme song for Aiba's drama .
Released on January 26, 2011, Arashi's music DVD Arashi 10–11 Tour "Scene": Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fūkei – Stadium sold 618,000 copies in its first week, making it the first music DVD in Oricon history to sell over 600,000 copies in the first week. The DVD sold another 59,000 copies, bringing the total to an estimate of 677,000 copies sold and pushing the group's overall music DVD sales to 4,014,000 copies. As a result, Arashi became the first artist in Oricon history to sell over four million DVDs.
In early May 2011, the group announced their new tour with concerts in July, September, and January 2012 called the "Beautiful World Concert Tour". The group then announced on May 19, 2011 that they will hold charity events at Tokyo Dome for three days starting June 24, 2011, release their tenth studio album titled Beautiful World on July 6, 2011, and start their nationwide concert tour on July 24, 2011. According to Matsumoto, the title was chosen to reflect on Arashi's thoughts on the future of Japan after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
. Their nationwide tour will be held at four of the five major domes and the National Olympic Stadium, making it the group's fourth consecutive year performing at the stadium.
On June 22, 2011, Oricon announced that the group's second music DVD Arashi 10–11 Tour "Scene": Kimi to Boku no Miteiru Fūkei – Dome+ sold 539,000 copies in its first week of sales, pushing their all-time DVD sales to 5.282 million, making them the first Japanese artist to sell over five million DVDs.
On October 19, 2011, NHK announced Arashi and actress Mao Inoue as the hosts for the 62nd Kouhaku Uta Gassen. This will be the second year in a row for Arashi to be in charge of the White Team.
On November 2, 2011, the group released their 36th single, Meikyū Love Song (迷宮ラブソング). Meikyū Love Song was adapted as the ending theme song for Sakurai's drama 'Nazotoki wa Dinner no Ato de'. The single sold over 240,000 copies on the first day and over 530,000 copies in the first week .
Discography
Studio albums- 2001: Arashi No.1 Ichigou: Arashi wa Arashi o Yobu!
- 2002: Here We Go!Here We Go!Here We Go! is the second album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was the first studio album to be released on their new label J Storm after moving from the Pony Canyon label...
- 2003: How's It Going?How's It Going?How's It Going? is the third studio album of Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released in two editions: a regular and limited edition, with the latter bearing a different cover art and a booklet.-Album information:...
- 2004: Iza, Now!Iza, Now!is the fourth studio album of Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released in two editions: a regular edition and a limited editions. Though the two editions contains the same tracks, only the limited edition contained a booklet and a DVD containing five music videos chosen by fans.-Album...
- 2005: OneOne (Arashi album)One is the fifth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 3, 2005 in Japan in two editions: a limited CD+DVD version and a regular CD version.-Album information:...
- 2006: ArashicArashicArashic is the sixth studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on July 5, 2006 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited CD+DVD version and a regular CD version. The album was the first album of the group to be released not only in Japan, but in...
- 2007: TimeTime (Arashi album)Time is the seventh studio album of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on July 11, 2007 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a limited 2CD version and a regular CD version.-Album information:...
- 2008: Dream "A" LiveDream "A" Live-Chart performance:The album debuted at the number one on the Oricon singles daily chart upon its release with the sales index number of 57,795 . By the end of its first week, the album sold a total of 220,722 copies...
- 2010: Boku no Miteiru FūkeiBoku no Miteiru Fūkeiis the ninth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 4, 2010 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a first press version and a regular version. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. As...
- 2011: Beautiful WorldBeautiful World (Arashi album)- Release history :...
Compilation albums
- 2002: Arashi Single Collection 1999–2001
- 2004: 5x5 The Best Selection of 2002–2004
- 2009: All the Best! 1999–2009
Filmography
Aside from their music careers, Arashi has also appeared in dramas and movies, done radio shows, and acted as the main hostsMaster of Ceremonies
A Master of Ceremonies , or compere, is the host of a staged event or similar performance.An MC usually presents performers, speaks to the audience, and generally keeps the event moving....
for events. A short Fuji TV
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
called V no Arashi became one of the group's first activities together as it was broadcast just about a month after the announcement of their formation in Hawaii. Although it would not be until 2010 would the group act in another drama together titled Saigo no Yakusoku
Saigo no Yakusoku
was a Japanese drama special starring the members of Japanese boy band Arashi in their first drama together in nearly ten years.-Plot:Janitors Satoru Mashiko and Haruo Iio are driving towards Energy Bio Corporation for work when motorcycle courier Nozomu Gotō passes by them...
, they have worked together on movies in 2002, 2004, and 2007.
Since 2001, Arashi has hosted their own variety shows
Japanese variety show
Japanese variety show is a entertainment television program made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts.-Current situation:...
, starting with Mayonaka no Arashi on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
. On NTV, the group was a regular late-night presence as they had a string of shows that aired around midnight: C no Arashi, D no Arashi
D no Arashi
was a Japanese variety show that ran from July 2, 2003 to September 28, 2005 on NTV. Aired from 24:50 to 25:20 , it was Japanese boy band Arashi's fifth variety show to be aired on NTV.-Concept:...
, G no Arashi, and Arashi no Shukudai-kun. Before VS Arashi was moved from an afternoon timeslot to Golden Time in 2009, Arashi was also a regular afternoon presence on Fuji TV as they had a string of shows that aired around 1:00 p.m. (JST
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
) since 2002: Nama Arashi: Live Storm, Arashi no Waza-Ari, Mago Mago Arashi
Mago Mago Arashi
was a Japanese variety show that ran from April 9, 2005 to October 6, 2007 on Fuji TV. Aired from 13:00 to 13:30 , it was Arashi third variety show on Fuji TV.-Being Grandchildren for a Day:...
and Golden Rush Arashi.
Besides their NTV television specials that would air almost twice a year around 7:00 p.m. (JST), Arashi did not have any variety shows that aired during primetime until TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
gave the group their first primetime show titled Himitsu no Arashi-chan in 2008. In 2010, NTV began to broadcast another Arashi-hosted primetime show titled Arashi ni Shiyagare.
Endorsements
Nearly every year, the group endorses products for different companies such as Coca-ColaCoca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, House Foods
House Foods
is one of Japan's largest food manufacturers and brands. It began in 1913 in Osaka as Urakami Shoten, and began selling curry in 1926.It is listed on Section 1 of both Tokyo and Osaka Stock Exchanges, symbol 2810. It is headquartered in Higashiōsaka, Osaka, Japan.House Foods is well known for its...
, and au by KDDI
Au (mobile phone operator)
, or au by KDDI, is a mobile phone brand in Japan marketed by KDDI Corporation in the main islands of Japan and Okinawa Cellular in Okinawa.-Naming:...
. Since 2008, Arashi has been appearing in au by KDDI's exclusive mobile phone commercials. In 2010, Arashi began to endorse for Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
by appearing in Wii Party
Wii Party
is a party video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. The game heavily borrows game play elements from the Mario Party series, another Nintendo franchise. It is also the first game in the Wii series that Shigeru Miyamoto did not produce...
commercials to promote the game. Most of Arashi's singles have been used as theme songs for dramas such as Stand Up!!
Stand Up!!
is a Japanese television drama which ran weekly for three months in 2003. The drama, which stars Kazunari Ninomiya of Arashi and Tomohisa Yamashita of NEWS, centers around the lives of the last four virgins left in their highschool as they struggle to lose their virginity over their final high...
and Maō
Mao
, is a Japanese remake of the Korean suspense drama series titled Ma Wang which aired on KBS 2TV in 2007. The drama stars Satoshi Ohno of Arashi and Toma Ikuta, both under the talent agency Johnny & Associates.-Synopsis:...
, movies such as Hana Yori Dango Final
Hana Yori Dango Final
Hana Yori Dango Final is a 2008 Japanese film, directed by Yasuharu Ishii, and starring Mao Inoue and Jun Matsumoto. The film is the last chapter of the Hana Yori Dango trilogy in Japan, based on Japanese shōjo manga series, , written by Yoko Kamio....
and Yatterman, and commercials.
In 2004, "Hero
Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy/Hero
is the thirteenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in three editions: a regular edition containing a bonus track and karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and two limited editions, both containing a DVD with a music video of one of the A-side tracks...
" was used as the theme song for the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
news coverage on NTV
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
. In 2008, "Kaze no Mukō e
Truth/Kaze no Muko e
is a single released by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on August 20, 2008 by their record label J Storm. "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e" was released in three formats: a regular edition and two limited editions...
" was used for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
on NTV. In 2010, their song "Yurase, Ima o"
Troublemaker (Arashi song)
"Troublemaker" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 3, 2010 by their record label J Storm. "Troublemaker" was used as the theme song to the drama starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai...
was used as the theme song for the 2010 Winter Olympics news coverage on NTV.
On April 8, 2010, the Japan Tourism Agency
Japan Tourism Agency
The , abbreviated JTA, is an organization which was set up on October 1, 2008 as an extra-ministerial bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.- Background of establishment :...
appointed Arashi as the navigators for their "Japan Endless Discovery" national tourism campaign. Arashi appeared in commercials, which aired in East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, to encourage people from overseas to visit Japan.
Other activities
In 2004, the group was appointed to be the main personality supporters for NTV's 27th annual telethon 24-Hour Television. With the theme being , it was broadcast live for about twenty-four hours from August 21 to August 22. In 2008, Arashi was once again the main personality supporters for the telethon. The 31st annual 24-Hour Television focused on the theme of , and it was broadcast live from August 30 to August 31. The telethon raised 1,083,666,922 Japanese yenJapanese yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
(approx. US$11,902,822.61) in donations, which is the second-highest amount of donations in 24-Hour Television history to date.
After the 2011 Tohoku earthquake
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
in March, Arashi considered canceling their concerts scheduled from June 24 to June 26, 2011 at Tokyo Dome. However, in April, they decided that they will use those three days to hold charity events instead. Part of the proceeds from a possible total audience of 225,000 will be donated to charity. It was also announced on May 19, 2011 that Arashi will release a pocket-sized version of their book Nippon no Arashi, which originally distributed to 40,000 schools in 2010. All of the revenue will be given to charity.
On November 4, 2011, it was reported that Arashi donated approximately 300 million yen to the disaster-stricken regions in northern Japan. The group split their donations between the Iwate, Mitagi, and Fukushima prefectures, with each one receiving about 100 million yen. About 50 million yen comprises the members’ total royalties received from the sale of the pocket edition of their book Nippon no Arashi. The remaining amount comes from the publisher’s revenues on the book and from the sale of goods at their charity event at Tokyo Dome in June.
Awards and nominations
In 2009, Oricon declared Arashi the best-selling artist of the year and awarded them the "Artist Top Sales" (ATS) award with 14.46 billion yen (approx. US$172,875,357.81) worth of total sales in the singles, album, music DVD, and music Blu-rayBlu-ray Disc
Blu-ray Disc is an optical disc storage medium designed to supersede the DVD format. The plastic disc is 120 mm in diameter and 1.2 mm thick, the same size as DVDs and CDs. Blu-ray Discs contain 25 GB per layer, with dual layer discs being the norm for feature-length video discs...
categories. In 2010, Arashi became Japan's top-selling artist for the second year in a row, with more than 17.16 billion yen (approx. US$204,321,424) worth of sales in seven categories: total gross sales for an artist, total gross single sales for an artist, copies sold for an album, gross sales for an album, copies sold for a music DVD, gross sales for a music DVD, and total gross music DVD sales for an artist.
Billboard Japan Music Awards
The Billboard Japan Music Awards is an annual music awards ceremony established by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
. Arashi has received two awards.
|-
| rowspan="2"| 2010
| rowspan="2"| "Troublemaker
Troublemaker (Arashi song)
"Troublemaker" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 3, 2010 by their record label J Storm. "Troublemaker" was used as the theme song to the drama starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai...
"
| Hot 100 of the Year
|
|-
| Hot 100 Singles Sales of the Year
|
Japan Gold Disc Awards
The Japan Gold Disc Award
Japan Gold Disc Award
The Japan Gold Disc Awards for Music sales in the Recording Industry Association of Japan, is major music awards held annually in Japan also released as a CD.- List of the Artists of the Year :************...
s is an annual music awards ceremony established by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
Recording Industry Association of Japan
The Recording Industry Association of Japan is an industry trade group composed of Japanese corporations involved the music industry...
in 1987. Arashi has received twenty-two awards.
|-
| 2008
| "Love So Sweet
Love so sweet
"Love So Sweet" is the eighteenth single by the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing a bonus secret track and karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track entitled "Fight Song"...
"
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| rowspan="5"| 2009
| rowspan="2"| "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e
Truth/Kaze no Muko e
is a single released by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on August 20, 2008 by their record label J Storm. "Truth/Kaze no Mukō e" was released in three formats: a regular edition and two limited editions...
"
| Single of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| "One Love
One Love (Arashi song)
"One Love" is the twenty-second single of the Japanese boy band, Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing only the title track and a DVD of the music video...
"
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| "Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days (song)
"Beautiful Days" is the twenty-fourth single from the Japanese boy band Arashi. It was used as the theme song for the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna, starring Arashi member Kazunari Ninomiya....
"
| The Best 10 Singles
|
|-
| Summer Tour 2007 Final Time
Summer Tour 2007 Final Time - Kotoba no Chikara
is a DVD release of Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on April 16, 2008 by their record label J Storm. Summer Tour 2007 Final Time: Kotoba no Chikara documented Arashi's summer concert at Tokyo Dome in correspondence with their Time album....
| The Best Music Videos
|
|-
| rowspan="10"| 2010
| Arashi
| Artist of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| "Believe/Kumorinochi, Kaisei"
| Single of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "Everything
Everything (Arashi song)
"Everything" is a song recorded by Japanese pop boy band Arashi. It was released on July 1, 2009 by their record label J Storm. "Everything" was used as the theme song for the au by KDDI commercials, featuring Arashi as the endorsers. It was released as a CD single in two formats: a regular edition...
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "My Girl
My Girl (Arashi song)
-Chart performance:On the issue date of October 26, 2009, the song, "My Girl" debuted on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart at number fifty-one. On its fifth week on the chart, the song jumped from number forty-one to number-one during the week of November 28, 2009...
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| All the Best! 1999–2009
| Album of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 5 Albums
|
|-
| Arashi Around Asia 2008 in Tokyo
Arashi Around Asia 2008 in Tokyo
Arashi Around Asia 2008 in Tokyo is a DVD release of Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 25, 2009 by their record label J Storm...
| The Best Music Videos
|
|-
| 5x10 All the Best! Clips 1999–2009
5x10 All the Best! Clips 1999–2009
5x10 All the Best! Clips 1999–2009 is the music video collection DVD of Japanese boy band Arashi. The two-disc DVD was released on October 28, 2009 in Japan under their record label J Storm...
| The Best Music Videos
|
|-
| rowspan="6"| 2011
| Arashi
| Artist of the Year
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
Boku no Miteiru Fūkei
is the ninth studio album by Japanese boy band Arashi. The album was released on August 4, 2010 in Japan under their record label J Storm in two editions: a first press version and a regular version. The album debuted at number-one on the Oricon weekly album chart, selling around 731,000 copies. As...
| Album of the Year
|
|-
| The Best 5 Albums
|
|-
| "Troublemaker
Troublemaker (Arashi song)
"Troublemaker" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 3, 2010 by their record label J Storm. "Troublemaker" was used as the theme song to the drama starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai...
"
| The Best 5 Singles
|
|-
| "Monster
Monster (Arashi song)
-Chart performance:The single sold about 232,000 copies on the first day of its release on May 19, 2010, debuting at number one on the Oricon singles daily chart. On the Oricon singles weekly chart, the single placed at number one, selling about 543,000 copies...
"
| The Best 5 Singles
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| Arashi Anniversary Tour 5x10
| The Best Music Videos
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Television Drama Academy Awards
The Television Drama Academy Awards is a quarterly Japanese drama
Japanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
awards ceremony held by the magazine The Television. Arashi has received six awards from thirteen nominations.
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| 2001
| "Jidai
Jidai
is the sixth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions. While both the regular edition and limited edition contains two songs and its instrumentals, the two have different covers and only the limited edition included cards and a poster.-Single...
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|rowspan="13"| Best Theme Song
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| 2002
| "A Day in Our Life"
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| 2003
| "Kotoba Yori Taisetsu na Mono
Hadashi No Mirai/Kotoba yori Taisetsu na Mono
is the eleventh single of the Japanese boy band Arashi and their second double A-side single. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and a limited edition with a deluxe cover art.-Single...
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| 2004
| "Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy
Hitomi no Naka no Galaxy/Hero
is the thirteenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in three editions: a regular edition containing a bonus track and karaoke versions of all the songs released in the single, and two limited editions, both containing a DVD with a music video of one of the A-side tracks...
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| rowspan="2"| 2007
| "We Can Make It!
We Can Make It!
"We Can Make It!" is the nineteenth single of the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track and a set of cards enclosed in a clear plastic...
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| "Happiness
Happiness (Arashi song)
"Happiness" is the twentieth single of the Japanese boy band, Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing the karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track...
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| 2008
| "Beautiful Days
Beautiful Days (song)
"Beautiful Days" is the twenty-fourth single from the Japanese boy band Arashi. It was used as the theme song for the drama Ryūsei no Kizuna, starring Arashi member Kazunari Ninomiya....
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|rowspan="2"| 2009
| "Ashita no Kioku
Ashita no Kioku/Crazy Moon: Kimi wa Muteki
is a single release by Japanese boy band Arashi. "Ashita no Kioku" was used as the theme song for the drama The Quiz Show 2 starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai, and "Crazy Moon " was used as the theme song for Kose's Esprique Precious cosmetics line commercial...
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| "My Girl
My Girl (Arashi song)
-Chart performance:On the issue date of October 26, 2009, the song, "My Girl" debuted on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart at number fifty-one. On its fifth week on the chart, the song jumped from number forty-one to number-one during the week of November 28, 2009...
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|rowspan="3"| 2010
| "Troublemaker
Troublemaker (Arashi song)
"Troublemaker" is a song recorded by Japanese boy band Arashi. It was released on March 3, 2010 by their record label J Storm. "Troublemaker" was used as the theme song to the drama starring Arashi member Sho Sakurai...
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| "Monster
Monster (Arashi song)
-Chart performance:The single sold about 232,000 copies on the first day of its release on May 19, 2010, debuting at number one on the Oricon singles daily chart. On the Oricon singles weekly chart, the single placed at number one, selling about 543,000 copies...
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| "Love Rainbow"
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| 2011
| "Hatenai Sora
Hatenai Sora
Hatenai Sora is 34th single of Japanese boy band Arashi, released on November 10, 2010 by their recored label J Storm.- Regular Edition :1. Hatenai Sora 2. STORY 3. maboroshi 4. Ano Hi no Merry Christmas...
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External links
- Official Japanese website
- Official Korean website
- Official Chinese website
- Arashi at Yahoo! Music JapanYahoo! MusicYahoo! Music, owned by Yahoo!, is the provider of a variety of music services, including Internet radio, music videos, news, artist information, and original programming...