Editing Arashi (section)

===1999–2001: Debut and departure from Pony Canyon===
Johnny & Associates announced the group's debut on September 15, 1999, through a press conference aboard a cruise ship off the coast of Honolulu, Hawaii.<ref name="1999bio">{{cite web|url=https://www.johnnys-net.jp/page?id=bio&artist=10&year=1999|title=Arashi 1999 Timeline|language=ja|publisher=[[Johnny & Associates]]|access-date=August 18, 2021}}</ref> Then-president [[Johnny Kitagawa]] chose five trainees from the [[Johnny's Jr.]] division of the agency to become the members of Arashi, the Japanese word for ''Storm'', and to represent the agency's thrust of "creating a storm throughout the world".<ref>{{cite interview |last=Arashi |interviewer=[[Downtown (owarai)|Downtown]] |work=[[Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ]] |date=February 23, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4466497/|script-title=ja:(ワイドショー通信簿) 嵐メンバー "辞めてコンビニで{{nbsp}}..." 初紅白への苦悩|date=November 24, 2009|language=ja|publisher=Livedoor News|access-date=November 24, 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20091129140659/http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/4466497/| archive-date= November 29, 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref> On November 3, 1999, they made their CD debut by releasing the single "[[Arashi (song)|Arashi]]", which became the theme song for the [[FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup]] hosted by Japan in 1999.<ref name="1999bio"/> It went on to become a major hit, selling 557,430 copies in its first week and almost a million copies by the end of its chart run.<ref name="allmusic" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=1999&month=11&week=3&submit4.x=23&submit4.y=6|title=Oricon weekly chart for the 3rd week of November 1999|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=September 24, 2009}}</ref>

On April 5, 2000, Arashi released their second single, "[[Sunrise Nippon/Horizon]]", which debuted at number-one on the ''Oricon'' weekly singles chart selling 304,340 copies.<ref name="sunrise_nippon">{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2000&month=4&week=3&submit4.x=22&submit4.y=19|title=Oricon weekly chart for the third week of April 2000|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=October 23, 2009}}</ref> The next day, the group began their first concert tour at [[Osaka-jō Hall|Osaka Hall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.johnnys-net.jp/j/artists/arashi/bio/bio00.html|title=Arashi 2000 Timeline|language=ja|publisher=[[Johnny & Associates]]|access-date=November 24, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125063024/http://www.johnnys-net.jp/j/artists/arashi/bio/bio00.html|archive-date=November 25, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July, the group released their next single "[[Typhoon Generation]]", which debuted at number three on the weekly singles chart with 256,510 copies sold, and continued to chart for nine weeks before leaving the charts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/175384/1/|title=Typhoon Generation Music Profile|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=November 24, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2000&month=7&week=4&submit4.x=20&submit4.y=7|title=Oricon weekly chart for the fourth week of July 2000|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=October 23, 2009}}</ref> After holding more concerts in August, the group released their last single of 2000, "[[Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi]]". The single debuted at number two on the ''Oricon'' weekly singles chart and had first-week sales of 258,720.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/408420/1/|title=Kansha Kangeki Ame Arashi Music Profile|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=November 24, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=js&types=rnk&year=2000&month=11&week=3&submit4.x=13&submit4.y=13|title=Oricon weekly chart for the third week of November 2000|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=October 23, 2009}}</ref>

In January 2001, Arashi released their first studio album, ''[[Arashi No.1 Ichigou: Arashi wa Arashi o Yobu!]]''. The album debuted at number-one on the ''Oricon'' weekly album chart with initial sales of 267,220 copies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/search/result.php?kbn=ja&types=rnk&year=2001&month=2&week=1&submit5.x=14&submit5.y=20|title=Oricon weekly chart for the first week of February 2001|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|access-date=September 26, 2009}}</ref> Until the release of their tenth anniversary compilation album ''[[All the Best! 1999–2009]]'', the album remained the group's best-selling album with overall sales of about 323,030 for nearly ten years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/artists/a/253626/|title=Arashi's Album Ranking|language=ja|publisher=[[Oricon]]|date=November 24, 2009}}</ref> From March 25 to April 30, 2001, the group embarked on their first nationwide concert tour ''Arashi Spring Concert 2001''.<ref name="2001bio" /> The tour took place in Sendai, Osaka, Nagoya, Hokkaidō, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Toyama, and Tokyo with an unprecedented twenty-six performances.<ref name="2001bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.johnnys-net.jp/j/artists/arashi/bio/bio01.html|title=Arashi 2001 Timeline|language=ja|publisher=[[Johnny & Associates]]|access-date=November 16, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125095802/http://www.johnnys-net.jp/j/artists/arashi/bio/bio01.html|archive-date=November 25, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref> Before moving to a private record label by the end of 2001, Arashi released "[[Jidai (Arashi song)|Jidai]]" as their final single under [[Pony Canyon]]. Used as the theme song for Matsumoto's drama ''[[Kindaichi Case Files#Live action series|Kindaichi Shōnen no Jikenbo 3]]'', it was named Best Theme Song in the 30th Television Drama Academy Awards.<ref name="jidai_award">{{cite web|url=http://blog.television.co.jp/drama/academy/2001/09/post_273.html|script-title=ja:第30回ドラマソング賞「時代」嵐|date=September 19, 2001|language=ja|publisher=Television Drama Academy Awards|access-date=October 15, 2009}}</ref>