Masaki Aiba

Masaki Aiba (相葉 雅紀, Aiba Masaki) (born December 24, 1982) is a Japanese singer, actor, television personality, radio host and dancer. He is a member of the boy band Arashi.

Masaki Aiba
相葉 雅紀
Born
Masaki Aiba

(1982-12-24) December 24, 1982
Chiba, Chiba, Japan
Other namesAiba-chan
Occupation
  • Singer
  • actor
  • television personality
  • radio host
  • dancer
Musical career
GenresJ-pop
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • harmonica
  • saxophone
Years active1996–present
Labels
Associated actsArashi

Aiba began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates in 1996 at the age of 13. Prior to his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, Aiba started an acting career when he was cast as the lead role of Gordie for the stage play Stand by Me, which was based on the film of the same name. About five years after his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, he became one of the co-hosts of the variety show Tensai Shimura Dōbutsuen (天才！志村どうぶつ園, Genius! Shimura Zoo) in 2004, making him the first member of Arashi to regularly participate in a variety show not primarily hosted by Arashi.

Early life

Aiba was born in Hanamigawa, Chiba as the first child of his family. He has a younger brother who is four years younger.[1][2] Aiba was raised by his grandparents until he was four years old because his parents were busy running their newly opened Chinese cuisine restaurant then.[3]

Prior to joining Johnny & Associates, Aiba watched a program called Love Love SMAP (愛ラブSMAP, Ai Rabu SMAP) and saw SMAP playing basketball on television.[4] Wanting to play basketball with them, he sent in the application to join the talent agency himself, without exactly knowing what the agency specialized in until the day of auditions.[4] Aiba became a Johnny's Jr. in August 1996 at the age of 13.[5]

Music career
For music-related releases and activities as a member of Arashi, see Arashi.

In collaboration with the other members, he has written the lyrics to "Fight Song" and "5x10". For his solo song "Hello Goodbye", Aiba played the harmonica portion of the song throughout Arashi's Arashi Marks 2008 Dream-A-Live and Arashi Marks Arashi Around Asia 2008 concert tours. Aiba also used to play the saxophone; however, due to the collapse of one of his lungs in 2002, he was forced to stop playing due to the operation he had to undergo.[6][7]

Acting career

Stage

Aiba began acting in a 1997 stage play based on an American coming of age film called Stand by Me with future bandmates Jun Matsumoto and Kazunari Ninomiya.[8] In 2005, Aiba took up the lead role of Keiji Takashima (高島 啓治, Takashima Keiji), a naive but honest station attendant living in a world after a World War III nuclear war, in Tsubame no Iru Eki (燕のいる駅, A Station with Swallows).[9] In 2007, Aiba portrayed Adam, a shy young man with a heart defect, in Wasurerarenai Hito (忘れられない人, Unforgettable Person). It was the first stage adaptation of the 1993 film Untamed Heart.[10] In early 2008, Aiba was given the lead role of Colin Briggs in the stage play called Greenfingers, which was adapted from the movie of the same name.[11]

Aiba reunited with director Keiko Miyata (宮田 慶子, Miyata Keiko), who has been the director for his stage plays since 2005, and took on the lead role for Kimi to Miru Sen no Yume (君と見る千の夢, The Thousand Dreams I Dream With You), which ran from May 5 to 24, 2010. He portrayed a young man hovering over life and death due to a violent traffic accident.[12]

Drama

In 1997, Aiba made his drama debut portraying Akira, one of the many children left to survive in a city under government lockdown after a mysterious disease wipes out all the adults, in the drama Bokura no Yūki: Miman Toshi (ぼくらの勇気, Our Courage: Miman City). After the announcement of the formation of Arashi in September 1999 and their position as supporters for the 1999 Volleyball World Cup competition, all five members starred together for the first time in the volleyball-centered short drama V no Arashi.

Although Aiba was featured in a number of dramas such as Mukodono 2003 (ムコ殿2003, The Son-in-Law 2003) and Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru (ヤンキー母校に帰る, Drop-out Teacher Returns to School), he became more known for his appearances in variety shows instead and went on to focus on stage productions after Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru.[13]

On August 2, 2009, it was announced that Aiba would not only act in his first drama series in nearly six years but also star as the lead actor for the first time.[13] In My Girl, Aiba portrayed a young man who discovers that he has a five-year-old daughter after receiving the news that his girlfriend, who he has not seen in six years, was killed in an accident.[14]

In January 2010, Aiba co-starred with the other members of Arashi in the human suspense drama special Saigo no Yakusoku. He portrayed Akira Tanada (棚田 昭, Tanada Akira), a 28-year-old coffee shop employee who is caught up in a building hijack.[15][16] Starting January 2011, Aiba starred as genius bartender Ryū Sasakura (佐々 倉溜, Sasakura Ryū) in the drama adaptation of the manga Bartender.[17] Aiba also made a guest appearance on the final episode of bandmate Ninomiya's drama Freeter, Ie o Kau (フリーター、家を買う。, Part-time Worker, Buys a House), which aired on December 21, 2010.[18] In April 2012, Aiba once again starred in a lead role as "Katayama Yoshitaro" in the NTV drama adaption of the similarly named novel series, " Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri (三毛猫ホームズの推理).[19] In 2013, took the lead role as a doctor in "Last Hope".

Film

In 2002, he made his motion picture debut in Pikanchi Life is Hard Dakedo Happy (ピカ☆ンチ Life is HardだけどHappy, Pikanchi Life is Hard But Happy), Arashi's first movie together, as the lead character Shun. He subsequently reprised his role for the 2004 sequel Pikanchi Life is Hard Dakara Happy (ピカ☆☆ンチ Life is HardだからHappy, Pikanchi Life is Hard Therefore Happy).

The group once again came together in 2007 to co-star in Kiiroi Namida (黄色い涙, Yellow Tears) with Aiba portraying an aspiring singer in the 1960s.[20]

Other ventures

Radio

Since October 5, 2001, Aiba has his own radio show Arashi's Aiba Masaki no Rekomen! Arashi Remix, which currently broadcasts on JOQR. On May 17, 2009, Aiba hosted a special radio program on Tokyo FM called Muteki no Aiba-kun (ムテキの相葉クン!, Invincible Aiba).[21]

Variety show host

In 2004 Aiba became a regular part of Ken Shimura's variety show Tensai! Shimura Dōbutsuen. With co-hosts of the show such as Tomomitsu Yamaguchi, Sayaka Aoki and Becky, Aiba interacts with various wild animals such as tigers, pandas and crocodiles in zoos both in and out of Japan, such as Singapore, South Africa, Philippines and Indonesia. After Shimura's passing on March 29, 2020, Aiba was given the lead of the show. The name will remain for the show as a tribute to Shimura.[22][23] As of June 3, 2020, NTV has decided to end the broadcasting of "Tensai!" in September, stating as a reason that to continue filming on that stage, with all the memories gathered throughout almost 16 years that the show was on air, would be painfully difficult and heartbreaking. However, Aiba would continue as host of a new program with basically the same theme: the love for animals. The new show, I love みんなのどうぶつ園 (I love minna no doubutsuen), started airing in October.[24][25]

In 2013 Aiba began hosting a variety show Aiba Manabu airing in TV Asahi. Aiba enriches his knowledge about Japan along with the audience in the show.

In 2014 he also became one of the hosts for Tokyo Live!, a special live show that aired TV Tokyo for two weeks. 5 Johnny's member alternated hosting the show every night from Mondays to Fridays wherein they try to offer advice as some audience called about their woes. Aiba was the Wednesday host. Due to popularity, the show became a regular show but lost its live format. It is currently called Ichigen-san

In 2016 he began hosting a sports show in NHK called Gutto! Sports. A warm discussion with an invited athlete occurs every week.

Starting in January 2021, Aiba is to host the program VS Damashii (VS魂), that will substitute Arashi's signature program VS Arashi, scheduled to end in December 2020.[26][27]

Music show host

As part of Arashi, he led NHK's Kouhaku Uta Gassen's White Team from 2010 to 2014, and as himself, he was the 67th White Team Leader in 2016.
He hosted Fuji TV's FNS Kayōsai, aired on December 4 and 11, 2019, together with Mezamashi TV's Yūmi Nagashima.[28] They repeat as hosts in 2020's FNS's Summer[29][30] and Winter shows.[31]

Field navigator

From July 18 to 19, 2009, Aiba was appointed a Field Navigator for the Gymnastics Japan Cup 2009 (体操Japan Cup 2009, Taisō Japan Cup 2009).[32] He was once again a navigator on October 18, 2009 for the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships 2009: London Rally (世界体操選手権2009 ロンドン大会, Sekai Taisō Senshuken 2009 Rondon Taikai).[33]

In July 2010 Aiba was a Field Navigator for the Gymnastics Japan Cup 2010 (体操Japan Cup 2010, Taisō Japan Cup 2010).[34] Aiba was the official navigator for Fuji Television's coverage of the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which was held in Rotterdam, Netherlands from October 16 to 24, 2010.[35]

Commercials

相葉雅紀#CM

Filmography
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Bokura no Yūki: Miman Toshi Akira
1998 Don't Worry! Hideto Episode 11
BOYS BE...Jr Kanji Sugiyama
Naoyuki		 "Imitation Couple"
"Chrismas wa Kimi to Isshoni"
Shōnentachi Kei Matsushita
1999 Nekketsu Ren'ai-dō Yuji Ueda
Hiroshi Kanda		 "Iteza no O-gata BOY"
"Sasoriza no A-gata BOY"
Ppoi! Banri Kusaka
Kowai Nichiyōbi Masaki Aiba Episode: "Ugokasu Na!"
V no Arashi Masaki Aiba Lead role with Arashi members
2000 Shijō Saiaku no Dēto Date king
Yuuichiro		 Lead role
2001 Mukodono Ryo Takeyama
Shōnen Taiya: Gypsy Roku Four-episode drama
2002 Shōnen Taiya: Aoki-san Uchi no Oku-san Masaki Four-episode drama, with fellow Arashi members Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai[40]
2003 Yoiko no Mikata Akira Mataki Episode 7 guest appearance
Kaigo Kazoku: Hana, Sakimakka Akira Mataki Television special
Gekidan Engimono: Kurū ga Mama Kazuya Lead role, four-episode drama
Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru Tetsuji Yashiki
2006 Triple Kitchen Eisaku Odajima Television special
Kuitan Special Extra Cameo appearance
2009 My Girl Masamune Kazama Lead role
2010 Saigo no Yakusoku Akira Tanada Lead role with Arashi members, television special
Freeter, Ie o Kau Hirata Episode 10 guest appearance
2011 Bartender Ryū Sasakura Lead role
21-nin no Wa Documentary narrator
Freeter, Ie o Kau SP Hirata Guest appearance
2012 Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri Yoshitaro Katayama Lead role
2013 Last Hope Hatano Takumi Lead role
2015 Yōkoso, Wagaya e Kurata Kenta Lead role
2017 Kizoku Tantei Kizoku Tantei Lead role
2018 Boku to Shippo to Kagurazaka Tatsuya Kōenji Lead role
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1998 Shinjuku Shōnen Tantei-dan Sōsuke Hashiba
2002 Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy Shun Okano Lead role
2004 Pikanchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy Shun Okano
2007 Kiiroi Namida Shōichi Inoue Lead role with Arashi members
2011 Nippon Rettou: Ikimonotachi no Monogatari Documentary narrator
2014 Pikanchi Life Is Hard Tabun Happy Shun Okano Lead role with Arashi members
Miracle Debikuro-kun no Koi to Mahou Hikari Yamamoto Lead role

Stage
Year Title Role Notes
1997 Stand By Me Gordie Lead role
Kyo to Kyo
2005 Tsubame no Iru Eki Keiji Takashima Lead role
2007 Wasurerarenai Hito Adam
2009 Green Fingers Colin Briggs
2010 Kimi to Miru Sen no Yume Haruya Ikebe

Awards
Year Organization Award Work Result
201013th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Autumn)Best ActorMy GirlWon[41]
TV Navi Drama Awards (Autumn)Best NewcomerWon[42]
201685th Television Drama Academy AwardsBest ActorYōkoso, Wagaya eNominated[43]
25th TV Life AwardsBest ActorWon[44]
201793rd Television Drama Academy AwardsBest ActorKizoku TanteiNominated[45]
21st Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Spring)Best ActorNominated[46]
201827th TV Life AwardsBest ActorWon[47]
22nd Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Autumn)Best ActorBoku to Shippo to KagurazakaWon[48]

References
  1. おしゃれイズム. December 21, 2008. NTV.
  2. Love So Sweet (Secret Talk). J Storm. November 16, 2005. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  3. "そして僕らは嵐になった Arashi Story 1980–2009". Pia: 10–22. August 27, 2009.
  4. Hey! Hey! Hey! Music Champ. February 23, 2004. Fuji TV.
  5. Shounen Club Premium. January 18, 2009. NHK.
  6. All or Nothing. J Storm. June 12, 2002. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  7. 24-Hour Television. August 22, 2004. NTV.
  8. Shounen Club Premium. July 19, 2009. NHK.
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  12. 君と見る千の夢 [The Thousand Dreams I Dream With You] (in Japanese). The Globe Tokyo. Archived from the original on February 25, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
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  34. 番組 (in Japanese). Fuji Television. Retrieved June 19, 2010.
  35. "Masaki Aiba headed to Netherlands to cover gymnastics championships". Tokyograph. October 10, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2010.
  36. "「櫻井さんを見て語る大野さん」編 15秒". asahiinryo.co.jp (in Japanese). March 29, 2020. Archived from the original on March 30, 2020. Retrieved March 29, 2020.
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  41. 第13回ドラマＧＰ 秋投票 「マイガール」が３部門を制す (in Japanese). Nikkan Sports. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. Retrieved January 23, 2010.
  42. ドラマ・オブ・ザ・イヤー２００９ 秋クール 【 １０月〜１２月期 】 結果発表！ (in Japanese). Tvnaviweb.jp. Retrieved January 27, 2010.
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  44. 2015年「年間ドラマ大賞」作品賞（大賞）は相葉雅紀主演『ようこそ、わが家へ』！相葉は「作品賞」「主演男優賞」「主題歌賞」のトリプル受賞！ (in Japanese). TV Life. Archived from the original on February 12, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
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