Arashi

Biographical Overview & Key Facts

Subject:

Arashi

Role / Field:

Iconic Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates, known for massive success.

Database Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Wikipedia CC BY-SA 4.0

Origins & Foundations

Arashi (嵐; lit. "Storm") was a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 1999, consisting of five members: Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. The group was announced on September 15, 1999, aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii, and officially debuted on November 3, 1999. It remained with Johnny & Associates until 2023, when they became part of Starto Entertainment under an agent contract.

Key Developments & Impact

They were initially signed to Pony Canyon, where they released one studio album and six singles, beginning with their 1999 eponymous debut single. In 2001 they were moved to the Johnny's subsidiary label J Storm, which was set up for their succeeding releases. Their eighteenth single "Love So Sweet", theme song for Matsumoto's drama Hana Yori Dango 2, was one of the top five best-selling singles of 2007 in Japan, and their first single to exceed 400,000 copies sold overall in nearly seven years. In the following two years, Arashi became the first artist to place the top two rankings on the Oricon singles yearly chart with their singles "Truth / Kaze no Mukō e" and "One Love" in 2008, and "Believe / Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita...

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1999: 1999 Milestone — "Storm") was a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 1999, consisting of five members: Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto.
2. 2001: 2001 Milestone — In 2001 they were moved to the Johnny's subsidiary label J Storm, which was set up for their succeeding releases.
3. 2007: 2007 Milestone — Their eighteenth single "Love So Sweet", theme song for Matsumoto's drama Hana Yori Dango 2, was one of the top five best-selling singles of 2007 in Japan, and their first single to exceed 400,000 copies sold overall in nearly seven years.
4. 2008: 2008 Milestone — In the following two years, Arashi became the first artist to place the top two rankings on the Oricon singles yearly chart with their singles "Truth / Kaze no Mukō e" and "One Love" in 2008, and "Believe / Kumorinochi, Kaisei" and "Ashita...
5. 2023: 2023 Milestone — It remained with Johnny & Associates until 2023, when they became part of Starto Entertainment under an agent contract.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Arashi

True or False: “Arashi was formed by Johnny & Associates and debuted on November 3, 1999.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): The group was announced on September 15, 1999, but their official debut date was recorded as November 3, 1999.

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• Aimé Césaire — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Afro-Martinican poet, politician, and founder of the Négritude movement.
• Alain Robbe-Grillet — Historical peer (Died in 2008) (2008): Pioneering French writer and filmmaker associated with the Nouveau Roman movement.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arashi