Fans of the now middle-aged boy band SMAP, set to break up at the end of this year, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of the group's first single on Friday by begging the band to continue in personal ads in newspapers across the country.
Messages such as "Happy 25th anniversary," "Thank you for your smiles always" and "I will support you forever and ever" filled almost the entirety of the personal ad space in the morning edition of the Tokyo Shimbun.
Similar messages were also printed by regional newspapers in various parts of the nation, including the Kahoku Shimpo in Miyagi Prefecture, the Shizuoka Shimbun in Shizuoka Prefecture, the Jomo Shimbun in Gunma Prefecture, and the Kitanippon Shimbun in Toyama Prefecture.