Masuteru graduated 1962 from the Kuwasawa Design Research Institute. He then joined Orikomi Co. Ltd. In 1969 he established the A&A Masuteru Aoba Design Office. His works have been awarded frequently, at home and abroad: ADC Award, 1972; gold, silver and bronze awards at the Japan Magazine Advertising Awards; second prize, International Graphic Design Biennale, Lahti, 1980; Grand Prix, International Biennale of Graphic Design, Brno, 1982; gold award, International Poster Biennale, Warsaw, 1987; NY ADC International Exhibition Gold Award, 1992; design of the first official poster for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, 1993; bronze award, 5th International Poster Triennial, Toyama, 1997; bronze award, 5th International Biennale of the Poster, Mexico, 1998; second prize, Trnava Poster Triennial, 2000. Masuteru has also been honoured with solo exhibitions in Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Canada, Chaumont, Poland and elsewhere.