Born in Toyama Prefecture. From an early age, Ayano studied Ikuta School koto music and jiuta shamisen with Utatoshi Kitagawa. She graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts in 2014 and completed that university's graduate course. Drawn to the sound of words in the jiuta style and the versatility of koto and shamisen, she has deeply explored classical Japanese music while also collaborating with musicians in a variety of genres. Kitagawa is an instructor of the Seiha hogaku-kai koto school. She is a member of the Nihon Sankyoku Kyokai and Mori no Kai, and of the music groups Tagai and MANJIRO.