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 bandArashi.
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 showTensai 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 for the show remained as a tribute to Shimura.[22][23] As of June 3, 2020, NTV decided to end broadcasting "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] The show's format and name remained until April 2022, when it was renamed 嗚呼!!みんなの動物園 (Aa! Minna no doubutsuen), focusing now on the people who take care of rescued animals, mainly dogs and cats.[26] Aiba, besides hosting the show, has an occasional corner trimming and washing rescued dogs, as part of his desire to take care of animals.[27]
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. As part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the program, Aiba Manabu released on December 15, 2023, a recipe book with a variety of vegetable recipes chosen by Aiba and his co-hosts Eiji Kotoge and Yū Sawabe. In an interview regarding the book, Aiba said "This is the crystallization of 10 years of learning, for both performers and staff. I would be happy if readers could relax while reading this book, have fun thinking, 'What should I make next?' and get excited about cooking."[28]
In 2014 he 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 hosts the program VS Damashii (VS魂), which substituted Arashi's signature program VS Arashi, ended in December 2020.[29][30] The program is to end by Autumn 2023, after two incarnations (the original and Gradation), and coinciding with member Yuta Kishi leaving the agency and the Network's program reorganization period in October. A substitute program has not been revealed, nor if Aiba will be hosting it.[31] The substitute program was revealed on 4 September 2023, Mokushichi marubatsubu (木7◎×部), and it will consist of school club-like activities, not available in school, with celebrities holding their own club activities, with Aiba and others in-studio watching over the challenges. The program started on 26 October.[32][33]
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.[34] They repeat as hosts for FNS's Spring (2022), Summer (2020-2023),[35][36][37] Autumn (2021) and Winter shows (2020-2022)[38][39][40][41] For the 2023 Winter edition, he shares hosting duties with Fuji TV announcer Seika Inoue, since Nagashima would be on maternity leave.[42]
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).[43] 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).[44]
In July 2010 Aiba was a Field Navigator for the Gymnastics Japan Cup 2010 (体操Japan Cup 2010, Taisō Japan Cup 2010).[45] 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.[46]
On April 4, 2021, Aiba started a new corner in NHK's Sunday Sports, called "Aibuzz", short for "Aiba's Buzz", visiting athletes and sporting spots.[48][49][50]
Documentaries and global environmental issues and SDG interest programs
On October 3, 2021, Aiba served as voice actor for Nissin Foods' subsidiary Koikeya's[51] animated episodes of サスとテナ (Suss to Tena). The series focuses on sisters Suss and Tena and a tanuki named Bull, who are called to fight monsters caused by environmental and social problems. Aiba voices 相葉蕉 (Aiba Sho), a haiku poet who reflects about the episode's problem, and, at the end, gives haiku that triggers everyone to think about SDGs. The episodes aired on Tokyo MX and BS Asahi, and are hosted on Koikeya's YouTube channel.[52][53][54][55][56][57]
陸・海・空 ４Ｋ中継 絶景ぜんぶ見せます！世界自然遺産 (Riku umi sora 4 K chūkei zekkei zenbu misemasu! Sekai shizen isan) is NHK's 4K channel's 5-episode series, starting March 18, 2023, in which Aiba, as special navigator, hosts a view at Japan's World Natural Heritage.[58]
Soflan Premium Deodorant Plus with aroma and deodorant (March 2017-); 2021 with fellow Arashi member Kazunari Ninomiya, in a collaborative visual campaign with Top Super Nanox[67]
On September 28, 2021, Aiba announced his marriage through a letter he released in their fan club website.[77] It was reported on October 23, 2022, via his agency, that he and his wife had welcomed their first born, a boy. The date of birth was not revealed.[78][79][80]
Filmography
Television
Year
Title
Role
Notes
Ref.
1997
Bokura no Yūki: Miman Toshi
Akira
1998
Don't Worry!
Hideto
Episode: "Boku Tantei ni Naritai"
Boys Be... Jr.
Kanji Sugiyama / Naoyuki
Episodes: "Imitation Couple", "Chrismas wa Kimi to Isshoni"
Shōnentachi
Kei Matsushita
1999
Nekketsu Ren'ai-dō
Yūji Ueda / Hiroshi Kanda / Yamanaka Taichi
Episodes: "Iteza no O-gata Boy", "Sasoriza no A-gata Boy", "Oushiza no O-gata boy"
^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.
^"明治おいしい牛乳「おいしいスタート」篇 15秒". meijioishiigyunyu.com (in Japanese). April 15, 2020. Archived from the original on April 15, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
