J-pop band Arashi stepping out of celebrity storm to seek new life

In announcing Sunday his band's plan to go on an indefinite hiatus, Arashi leader Satoshi Ono became the latest of a number of top Japanese idols to step out of the spotlight in recent years -- whether it is just taking time off, disbanding or retiring -- to seek a different life.The J-pop culture landscape has been shaken by a number of such departures lately, most notably the December 2016 breakup of SMAP, one of Japan's most enduring and beloved bands, following a rift among its members on whether they should quit their agent Johnny & Associates Inc., the major talent agency to which Ara…READ FULL ARTICLE