Aiba began acting in a 1997 stageplay based on an American coming of age film called Stand by Me with the other members of M.A.I.N. Within the same year, fellow M.A.I.N. member Matsumoto and Aiba made their drama debut together playing children struggling to survive in a city without any adults in the drama Bokura no Y?ki. After the announcement of the formation of Arashi in September 1999 and their position as image characters 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.

In 2002, he made his motion picture debut in Pika*nchi Life Is Hard Dakedo Happy and subsequently reprised his role in the 2004 sequel Pika**nchi Life Is Hard Dakara Happy. The group would once again come together in 2007 to star in their third movie together entitled Kiiroi Namida with Aiba acting as an aspiring singer in the 1960s.

Although Aiba was featured in a number of dramas such as Mukodono! and Yankee Bok? ni Kaeru, he became more known for his appearances in variety shows instead and went on to focus on stage productions after Yankee Bok? ni Kaeru.

In 2009, Aiba featured in a manga-based drama "My Girl"; his first solo drama. The first episode was released on October 13.

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