Masaki Aiba
Encyclopedia
is a Japanese idol
, singer, actor
, television personality and radio host
. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi
.
Aiba began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
in 1996 at the age of . 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
in 2004, making him the first member of Arashi to regularly participate in a variety show not primarily hosted by Arashi.
restaurant then.
Prior to joining Johnny & Associates, Aiba watched a program called and saw SMAP
playing basketball on television. 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. Aiba became a Johnny's Jr.
in August 1996 at the age of .
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.
and Kazunari Ninomiya
. In 2005, Aiba took up the lead role of , a naive but honest station attendant living in a world after a World War III nuclear war
, in . In 2007, Aiba portrayed Adam, a shy young man with a heart defect, in . It was the first stage adaptation of the 1993 film Untamed Heart
. 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
.
Aiba reunited with director , who has been the director for his stage plays since 2005, and took on the lead role for , which ran from May 5 to May 24, 2010. He portrayed a young man hovering over life and death due to a violent traffic accident.
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 . 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 and , he became more known for his appearances in variety shows instead and went on to focus on stage productions after Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru.
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. 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.
In January 2010, Aiba co-starred with the other members of Arashi in the human suspense drama special Saigo no Yakusoku
. He portrayed , a 28-year-old coffee shop employee who is caught up in a building hijack. Starting January 2011, Aiba will star as genius bartender in the drama adaptation of the manga Bartender
. Aiba also made a guest appearance on the final episode of bandmate Ninomiya's drama , which aired on December 21, 2010.
The group once again came together in 2007 to co-star in with Aiba portraying an aspiring singer in the 1960s.
. On May 17, 2009, Aiba hosted a special radio program on Tokyo FM
called .
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.
In July 2010, Aiba was a Field Navigator for the . 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 October 24, 2010.
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
, singer, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, television personality and radio host
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi
Arashi
is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii...
.
Aiba began his career in the entertainment industry when he joined the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates
Johnny & Associates
is a talent agency formed by Johnny Kitagawa in 1962. Johnny & Associates trains and promotes groups of male idols, collectively known as , in Japan.-1962–1989:...
in 1996 at the age of . 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
Stand by Me (film)
Stand by Me is a 1986 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner. Based on the novella The Body by Stephen King, the film takes its title from the Ben E. King song of the same name, which plays over the end credits.-Plot:...
. About five years after his debut as a singer with Arashi in 1999, he became one of the co-hosts of the variety show
Japanese variety show
Japanese variety show is a entertainment television program made up of a variety of original stunts, musical performances, comedy skits, quiz contests, and other acts.-Current situation:...
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. Aiba was raised by his grandparents until he was four years old because his parents were busy running their newly-opened Chinese cuisineChinese cuisine
Chinese cuisine is any of several styles originating in the regions of China, some of which have become highly popular in other parts of the world – from Asia to the Americas, Australia, Western Europe and Southern Africa...
restaurant then.
Prior to joining Johnny & Associates, Aiba watched a program called and saw SMAP
SMAP
SMAP is a Japanese boy band formed by Johnny & Associates. While originally consisting of six members, the current group members are Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori...
playing basketball on television. 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. Aiba became a Johnny's Jr.
Johnny's Jr.
is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet officially debuted either with a unit or as a solo act. The juniors are mostly younger than 30, with the exception of Sano Mizuki.- A.B.C-Z : is a part of Johnny & Associates that focuses only on boys who have not yet...
in August 1996 at the age of .
Music career
In collaboration with the other members, he has written the lyrics to "Fight Song"Love so sweet
"Love So Sweet" is the eighteenth single by the Japanese boy band Arashi. The single was released in two editions: a regular edition containing a bonus secret track and karaoke versions of the songs released in the single, and a limited edition containing a bonus track entitled "Fight Song"...
and "5x10". For his solo song "Hello Goodbye"
Dream "A" Live
-Chart performance:The album debuted at the number one on the Oricon singles daily chart upon its release with the sales index number of 57,795 . By the end of its first week, the album sold a total of 220,722 copies...
, 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
Pneumothorax
Pneumothorax is a collection of air or gas in the pleural cavity of the chest between the lung and the chest wall. It may occur spontaneously in people without chronic lung conditions as well as in those with lung disease , and many pneumothoraces occur after physical trauma to the chest, blast...
in 2002, he was forced to stop playing due to the operation he had to undergo.
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 MatsumotoJun Matsumoto
, often called by the portmanteau nickname , is a Japanese idol, singer, actor and radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi and is best known to Japanese television drama audiences for his portrayal as Tsukasa Dōmyōji in the Hana Yori Dango series, in which he won GQ Japan's Man Of...
and Kazunari Ninomiya
Kazunari Ninomiya
, often called , is a Japanese idol, singer, songwriter, actor, voice actor and radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi and is best known to movie audiences for his portrayal as Private Saigo in the 2006 Clint Eastwood war film Letters from Iwo Jima.Ninomiya began his career in the...
. In 2005, Aiba took up the lead role of , a naive but honest station attendant living in a world after a World War III nuclear war
Nuclear warfare
Nuclear warfare, or atomic warfare, is a military conflict or political strategy in which nuclear weaponry is detonated on an opponent. Compared to conventional warfare, nuclear warfare can be vastly more destructive in range and extent of damage...
, in . In 2007, Aiba portrayed Adam, a shy young man with a heart defect, in . It was the first stage adaptation of the 1993 film Untamed Heart
Untamed Heart
Untamed Heart is a 1993 film starring Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei. It mixes drama with romance and comedy and tells the story of a young woman, always unlucky in love, finally finding true love in a very shy young man. The film is directed by Tony Bill, and written by Tom Sierchio...
. 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
Greenfingers
Greenfingers is a 2000 British comedy film directed and written by Joel Hershman. It is loosely based on a true story about the award-winning prisoners of HMP Leyhill, a minimum-security prison in the Cotswolds, England.-Cast:...
.
Aiba reunited with director , who has been the director for his stage plays since 2005, and took on the lead role for , which ran from May 5 to May 24, 2010. He portrayed a young man hovering over life and death due to a violent traffic accident.
Drama
In 1997, Aiba made his dramaJapanese television drama
, also called , are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including murder romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, and many others...
debut portraying Akira, one of the many children left to survive in a city under government lockdown
Lockdown
There are several definitions for the term lockdown, the most common of which pertains to a state of containment or a restriction of progression....
after a mysterious disease wipes out all the adults, in the drama . 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 and , he became more known for his appearances in variety shows instead and went on to focus on stage productions after Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru.
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. 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.
In January 2010, Aiba co-starred with the other members of Arashi in the human suspense drama special Saigo no Yakusoku
Saigo no Yakusoku
was a Japanese drama special starring the members of Japanese boy band Arashi in their first drama together in nearly ten years.-Plot:Janitors Satoru Mashiko and Haruo Iio are driving towards Energy Bio Corporation for work when motorcycle courier Nozomu Gotō passes by them...
. He portrayed , a 28-year-old coffee shop employee who is caught up in a building hijack. Starting January 2011, Aiba will star as genius bartender in the drama adaptation of the manga Bartender
Bartender (manga)
is a Japanese manga series written by Araki Joh and illustrated by Kenji Nagatomo. Its focus is a genius bartender who uses his talents to ease the worries and soothe the souls of troubled customers. The manga was first serialized in the Japanese manga magazine Super Jump. The manga was later...
. Aiba also made a guest appearance on the final episode of bandmate Ninomiya's drama , which aired on December 21, 2010.
Film
In 2002, he made his motion picture debut in , Arashi's first movie together, as the lead character Shun. He subsequently reprised his role for the 2004 sequel .The group once again came together in 2007 to co-star in with Aiba portraying an aspiring singer in the 1960s.
Radio
Since October 5, 2001, Aiba has his own radio show Arashi's Aiba Masaki no Rekomen! Arashi Remix, which currently broadcasts on JOQRNippon Cultural Broadcasting
is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo which broadcasts to the Kanto area. It is one of the two flagship radio stations of National Radio Network and also has a relationship with JOLF and Fuji Television....
. On May 17, 2009, Aiba hosted a special radio program on Tokyo FM
Tokyo FM
Tokyo FM Broadcasting Co., Ltd. is a radio station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flagship station of the Japan FM Network .-Program:*Countdown Station** DHC Countdown jp** cosmo Pops Best 10...
called .
Variety show host
In 2004, Aiba became a regular part of Ken Shimura'sKen Shimura
, is a Japanese comedian and actor. He co-starred with Masashi Tashiro, Nobuyoshi Kuwano in the Japanese variety show "Ken Shimura no Bakatono-sama"....
variety show Tensai Shimura Dōbutsuen. With co-hosts of the show such as Tomomitsu Yamaguchi
Tomomitsu Yamaguchi
is a Japanese comedian, actor, voice actor, singer and presenter from Shijōnawate, Osaka. He is a graduate of the Osaka Prefecture North Shijōnawate Senior High School...
, Sayaka Aoki
Sayaka Aoki (comedian)
is a Japanese TV star and comedienne from Owariasahi, Aichi Prefecture . Both of her parents are primary school teachers. After graduating from Nagoya Gakuin University, she began her comedienne career. One of her co-workers is Hidekazu Nagai.-Career:* Aoki is a daughter of two elementary school...
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.
Field navigator
From July 18 to July 19, 2009, Aiba was appointed a Field Navigator for the . He was once again a navigator on October 18, 2009 for the .In July 2010, Aiba was a Field Navigator for the . Aiba was the official navigator for Fuji Television
Fuji Television
is a Japanese television station based in Daiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, also known as or CX, based on the station's callsign "JOCX-DTV". It is the flagship station of the Fuji News Network and the ....
's coverage of the 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
The 2010 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships was held at the Ahoy Rotterdam indoor sporting arena in the Netherlands from 16 to 24 October 2010. In this year's championships, there was a total of 73 participating federations with 615 gymnasts...
, which was held in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, Netherlands from October 16 to October 24, 2010.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Bokura no Yūki: Miman Toshi | Akira | |
| 1998 | Shōnentachi | Kei Matsushita | |
| 1999 | V no Arashi | Masaki Aiba | Lead role with other members of Arashi Arashi is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii... |
| 2001 | Mukodono 2003 | Ryo Takeyama | |
| 2002 | Shōnen Taiya: Second Story - Gypsy | Roku | Four-episode drama |
| 2002 | Shōnen Taiya: Third Story - Aoki-san Uchi no Oku-san | Masaki | Four-episode drama |
| 2003 | Kaigo Kazoku: Hana, Sakimakka | Akira Mataki | Television special |
| 2003 | Gekidan Engimono: Eleventh Story - Kurū ga Mama | Kazuya | Lead role, four-episode drama |
| 2003 | Yoiko no Mikata | Akira Mataki | Episode 7 guest appearance |
| 2003 | Yankee Bokō ni Kaeru | Tetsuji Yashiki | |
| 2006 | Triple Kitchen | Eisaku Odajima | Television special |
| 2006 | Kuitan Special | Extra Extra (actor) A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background... |
Cameo appearance Cameo appearance A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television... |
| 2009 | My Girl | Masamune Kazama | Lead role |
| 2010 | Saigo no Yakusoku Saigo no Yakusoku was a Japanese drama special starring the members of Japanese boy band Arashi in their first drama together in nearly ten years.-Plot:Janitors Satoru Mashiko and Haruo Iio are driving towards Energy Bio Corporation for work when motorcycle courier Nozomu Gotō passes by them... |
Akira Tanada | Lead role with other members of Arashi, television special |
| 2010 | Freeter, Ie o Kau | Hirata | Episode 10 guest appearance |
| 2011 | Bartender | Ryū Sasakura | Lead role |
| 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 |
Stage
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Stand By Me | Gordie | Lead role |
| 2005 | Tsubame no Iru Eki | Keiji Takashima | Lead role |
| 2007 | Wasurerarenai Hito | Adam | Lead role |
| 2009 | Green Fingers | Colin Briggs | Lead role |
| 2010 | Kimi to Miru Sen no Yume | Haruya Ikebe | Lead role |
Awards
| Year | Organization | Award | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Fall 2009) | Best Actor | My Girl | |
| TV Navi Drama Awards (Fall 2009) | Best Newcomer |