Popular Japanese boy band, Arashi, will reportedly not be participating in the upcoming Kōhaku Uta Gassen—Japan's prestigious year-end music show. This piece of news, based on a statement from a related party, has taken fans and the industry by surprise as the band has been a regular fixture at the event for years. No specific reason has been provided for the unexpected decision.

In Japan, Kōhaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) is a significant annual music event that takes place on New Year's Eve. Participating acts, such as Arashi, typically see a huge surge in popularity and accolades. Fans look forward to their favourite acts performing, and thus, when an regular performer like Arashi announces non-participation, it becomes major news attracting public and media attention.

Overseas, particularly in the US or EU, music events also have tremendous social significance, such as the Grammy Awards or the Eurovision Song Contest. Similar to Arashi's situation, if a major, regularly participating artist or group decided not to take part, it would likely generate a significant amount of media and public interest and speculation.