Born in Tokyo, Ayumi Ito has always had a love for movies and art. She made her big-screen debut in Nobuhiko Obayashi's The Water Travelers: Samurai Kids. Her distinctive style led to her critically acclaimed performance in Swallowtail Butterfly, directed by the renowned Director Shunji Iwai. At 16-years-old, Ayumi was awarded both the Best New Actress Award as well as the Best Supporting Actress Award at the 20th Annual Japanese Academy Awards.