Aichi was born in Tokyo in 1880 and studied theoretical physics at University of Tokyo. He graduated in 1903 and in 1905 moved to Kyoto where he became an assistant professor at Kyoto University. Between 1908 and 1911 he studied in Germany and in 1912 defended his PhD at Tohoku Imperial University with recommendations from the chancellor. Soon after, he assumed the post of professor at the university's then newly established College of Science. In 1922, he served as an interpreter during the visit of Albert Einstein in Japan. Aichi died from food poisoning in 1923.