In a shocking announcement, ARASHI, one of the most popular groups in Japanese history, have announced that they plan to halt activities on December 31, 2020. Here is a video of their announcement, please note that it is in Japanese:

Unfortunately, not much more information is known at this time, except that this was a decision by all five members. Aiba Masaki, one of the members, also made it a point to note that this was not due to any conflict among the members.

Some rumors seem to indicate that Ono Satoshi, leader of the group, may have been the force behind the split, as he had previously shared his intention to leave the group. But again, this is just speculation at this point.

In any case, Japan as a whole is saddened and shocked, as ARASHI had become part of the general fabric of Japanese television and entertainment. But hey, we still have 2019 and 2020 to celebrate with them, so don’t shed any tears just yet!