SMAP fans mourn as Japan pop idols leave 'final stage'

Group spans boy band to TV stars in decades-long career

1226N SMAP

The "SMAP 25 Years" musical compilation, released last week, is about to become Japan's top seller for 2016.

TOKYO -- Japan's beloved pop idol group SMAP bowed out Monday with the final episode of the long-running television program "SMAPxSMAP," disheartening many fans.

Positioned as the group's "final stage" of public appearances together, the program featured videos from the past two decades as well as a clip of the five members clad in black tuxedos singing hit song "Sekai ni Hitotsu dake no Hana" ("A Flower Unlike Any Other in the World") last month.

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