"Five" feels like Arashi looking back at the road they walked together and deciding it was worth every step. It opens on a smell, of all things: "ไธๆ่ญฐใจๆใใใ้ขจใฎๅใ" (a wind that smells strangely nostalgic), a breeze that slips past and feels like a hand gently pushing their back. Then comes an honest question: "ใฉใใปใฉใฎๅคขใๆใใฆ ใฉใใพใงๅฑใใใใ" (how many dreams did we draw, and how far did they reach?). What's left is "ใถใฉใคใใ ๅใฎๆ่งฆใ" (the gritty feel of dust), which is a pretty unglamorous image for a pop song, and I love it for that.
The heart of the song is the star image. Someone once said a night sky with no stars is boring, and the reply is gorgeous: "ๅใใๆญฉใใ่ป่ทกใใใพ ๆๅบงใ็ดกใใงใใ" (the path we walked is now spinning into constellations). Even if the lines are "ใคใใใงไธๆใ" (crooked and uneven), the feelings still connect. Learner tip: ็ดกใ literally means to spin thread, so the constellation is being stitched together from their footsteps.
Five people, five skies
The title fits the five members, and the lyrics talk about life going on "ใใใใใฎ็ฉบใฎไธใง" (each under our own sky) while still "ๅใๆ้ใๅปใใงใใ" (ticking through the same time). There's no despair here. "ใ ใใ่ฟทใใฏใใใชใใใ " (so there's no more hesitation) and "ใใใใใพใๅงใพใใใ " (it starts again from here). The ending lands on plain gratitude: "ๅฟใใใใใใจใ ่จใใใใจ" (that we could say thank you from the heart). It's sentimental, sure, but it earns it.
Arashi is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates in 1999, with Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya and Jun Matsumoto. The group debuted on November 3, 1999.
Arashi suspended group activities at the end of 2020. The five members came back together in spring 2026 for a final tour, after which the group disbanded.