Sho Sakurai
Self
ARASHI's Diary -Voyage-
“ARASHI: the Light and Shadow, the Reality of their 21st Year.”
2019
Ended • 1 Season • 24 Episodes
Overview
Twenty years after their debut, join the beloved members of ARASHI on a new journey as they showcase their lives, talents and gifts to the world.
Seasons
- Status
- Ended
- Seasons
- 1 season
- Episodes
- 24 episodes
- First aired
- Dec 31, 2019
Cast
Reviews
4 min readThe Unscripted Goodbye: How ARASHI’s Diary -Voyage- Turned a Hiatus Into an Art of Letting Go
I’ll admit it: I went into ARASHI’s Diary -Voyage- expecting a polished victory lap, the kind of behind-the-scenes documentary that idol groups release when they’ve already won. Twenty years at the top of Japan’s music industry, 53 number-one singles, sold-out stadiums—what else was there to say? But somewhere between the meticulously staged concert footage and the quiet, almost mundane moments of five men sitting around a table, the series did something far more interesting.
It turned a corporate decision into a human story. Not by force, not by drama, but by letting the weight of time do the work.
The first thing that strikes you about Voyage is what it isn’t. There’s no villain, no scandal, no last-minute betrayal. The group’s decision to suspend activities—announced early in the series—hangs over every frame, but it’s never treated as a tragedy.
Instead, the documentary leans into the strange, almost anticlimactic reality of a group that has spent two decades performing perfection. The members of Arashi (Sho Sakurai, Jun Matsumoto, Masaki Aiba, Satoshi Ohno, and Kazunari Ninomiya) aren’t rebels or outsiders; they’re institution men, products of Johnny & Associates, the legendary talent agency that shaped Japan’s idol industry.
And yet, Voyage doesn’t feel like a corporate product. It feels like a eulogy for a life they loved but couldn’t keep living.
That tension—between the public image and the private exhaustion—is where the series finds its footing. Take the episode where the group debates the setlist for their 20th-anniversary tour, 5x20. The camera lingers on Jun Matsumoto, the group’s de facto creative director, as he sketches out stage transitions with the precision of a choreographer.
He’s not just planning a concert; he’s designing a farewell. The other members tease him for his perfectionism, but there’s an undercurrent of respect. This is how they’ve always worked: not with grand declarations, but with quiet professionalism.
Audience Opinions
"A rare and intimate glimpse into the lives of ARASHI members, cherished by fans for its authenticity and behind-the-scenes charm."
Viewers appreciate the documentary-style approach that offers an unfiltered look at the group’s dynamics and individual personalities. latestnetflix.com's view is that the series is praised for its genuine moments and musical segments, though some note it may feel niche or slow-paced for those unfamiliar with ARASHI.
What viewers praise
- Authentic behind-the-scenes Provides a raw and personal look at the members’ lives, relationships, and creative process, resonating deeply with fans.
- Musical highlights Features engaging performances and insights into the group’s music, a major draw for fans of their work.
- Strong group chemistry Showcases the natural camaraderie and bond between the members, enhancing the viewing experience.
Common complaints
- Niche appeal May not engage viewers who are not already fans of ARASHI or Japanese idol culture.
- Slow pacing Some find the documentary format leisurely, lacking the energy of traditional variety shows.
Recommended for
ARASHI fans Japanese idol culture enthusiasts Documentary lovers Music behind-the-scenes seekers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsJohnny's last group year went on Netflix, in 28 languages.
On December 13, 2019, WEB The Television reported that Netflix would take ARASHI's final year as a unit and drop it monthly in 190 countries, with subtitles in 28 languages, from December 31. The title on the key visual is ARASHI's Diary -Voyage-. Yosuke Harada, a commercial director who had already shot the making-of for ARASHI LIVE TOUR 2016-2017 Are You Happy?, would helm it. The plan was irregular monthly episodes, more than 20 in total, running through the December 31, 2020 hiatus. latestnetflix.com's read is that that same year the group opened five social accounts, set worldwide digital singles, and ran the two-day JET STORM swing through four Asian cities.The documentary was the next export. 
Jun Matsumoto spoke for the five in that announcement. "Why are we going on hiatus at the end of 2020 after 20 years of activity? And what we thought and what we did at that time, I want to convey those moments over a year." He said he could not yet picture the finished film, "but the unvarnished us will be there." Partnering with Netflix, he added, is what made 190-country, 28-language delivery real. He hoped people who had never heard of the group would notice that Japan had this kind of entertainment. Netflix content-acquisition director Kazutaka Sakamoto, listed as an executive producer on the Media Center page, said the streamer would walk the hiatus road with them through December 2020. Julie K. Fujishima is the other credited executive producer. ,
The Media Center synopsis is not coy. Archive footage plus "a revealing look behind the scenes as their hiatus edges closer." The billed faces are Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto, Kazunari Ninomiya, Satoshi Ohno, and Sho Sakurai. English Wikipedia dates the hiatus announcement itself to January 27, 2019, eleven months before episode one. Rotten Tomatoes still carries that first drop, "20 Years," with the group's own tally. Fifty-three number-one songs. More than 14 million concert guests. Then the five talk about when to tell the public they were stopping. , ,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwMbYxmtvvY
The year had a shape the old one-source copy never printed. Rotten Tomatoes lists 24 episodes. Episode 2, "5x20," is stage design for the anniversary tour. Episode 3, "The Five of Us," has them holding a decision their managers have not heard. Episode 6 is titled "Hiatus." Later chapters isolate each member. AIBA's Diary, SHO's Diary, OHNO's Diary, NINO's Diary, JUN's Diary. Netflix Japan posted a YouTube preview for episode 12, the October 2019 digital surprise, the official YouTube channel, and the five-song dump that landed without a press blast. ,
Real Sound named the last page. Episode 24, "We are ARASHI," arrived February 28, 2021, two months after the pause. It follows the empty-arena livestream This is ARASHI LIVE 2020.12.31 through the last two weeks of prep and the minutes after the bows. Sakurai crying on the stairs. Ohno scanning the empty seats. Ninomiya whispering thanks. Aiba holding back. Matsumoto smiling with red eyes. Those beat-by-beat close-ups are Real Sound's, not rumor-board color. The diary did not vanish with New Year's Eve. It waited, then filed the last entry.
That is the story worth keeping. A Netflix contract announced in December 2019. A monthly clock. Twenty-four chapters. A finale titled like the slogan they had been selling since 1999.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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