Masuda Ayano

Masuda Ayano (増⽥彩乃) is a Japanese idol and a member of CUTIE STREET, as well as a former founding member of A♡Z and Lapilaz. she represents the color blue. Known within the group as its “mood maker,” she is recognized for her cheerful personality, emotional sincerity, and strong sense of gratitude toward both fans and fellow members.

Before entering entertainment, Ayano did not have a clear dream or career goal. She described herself as someone who simply enjoyed life day by day without thinking much about the future. That changed during her first year of high school, when she met a close friend who would eventually inspire her to step into the entertainment world. Ayano has said that without meeting that friend, she likely would never have stood on stage as an idol.

Her entry into the industry began through the “Joshi Kousei Miss Contest 2020,” a nationwide beauty contest for high school girls. The friend who inspired her had entered the contest first, and Ayano admired her deeply, even describing her as “like a doll.” At first, the idea of entering herself felt frightening, especially because she had never imagined herself in entertainment. However, after hearing her friend say that the contest helped her discover her dreams, Ayano decided to challenge herself as well.

The experience was emotionally difficult for her at times. During the competition, livestream rankings and social media engagement became a major part of judging, which left her feeling overwhelmed and guilty toward supporters who spent time helping her. She admitted that there was a point where she almost withdrew entirely because the constant streaming and pressure did not suit her personality. Despite that, she ultimately ranked first and advanced to the finals, something she now sees as an important turning point in her life.

Even before becoming an idol, Ayano loved idol culture. As a child, she was especially obsessed with AKB48, although she always viewed idols as people existing “above the clouds,” far removed from ordinary life. Because of that, she never seriously imagined becoming one herself.

Prior to joining CUTIE STREET, Ayano was active in another idol group formed from finalists of the Miss Contest. She has described that period as something she entered almost experimentally, since she still did not fully know what she wanted to do with her future. However, those experiences gradually led her toward genuinely wanting to pursue the idol path.

When the audition camp for CUTIE STREET began, Ayano focused entirely on surviving each day rather than thinking far ahead. She has said the process felt intense because every evaluation could determine whether her journey continued or ended. During the camp, she reunited with Miyu Umeda (梅田みゆ), someone she had already known through the Miss Contest and previous idol activities. The two became emotional support for one another throughout the audition, often talking together while eating ice cream from the dorm vending machine late at night.

One of their shared dreams had always been performing at TOKYO IDOL FESTIVAL, commonly known as TIF. Before joining CUTIE STREET, they promised each other that someday they would stand on that stage together. Learning that CUTIE STREET would debut at TIF became one of the biggest motivations for Ayano during the audition process.

When she was officially selected as a member, Ayano described feeling both relief and excitement. More than anything, she immediately felt emotionally safe around the other members. She often says that even from their first meeting, being together with the group gave her a sense of calm and comfort.

Her strongest “I’ve really become CUTIE STREET” moment came during their debut performance at TIF. Sharing the same stage lineup as senior KAWAII LAB. groups like FRUITS ZIPPER, CANDY TUNE, and SWEET STEADY felt surreal to her, especially because she had admired those groups long before joining the agency.

Since debut, Ayano has described life as moving at overwhelming speed. She often talks about how quickly months pass because of the nonstop schedules, performances, release events, recordings, and television appearances. One memory that particularly stayed with her was seeing huge crowds at their first release events and later hearing that fans could not get tickets through lottery systems. Having previously struggled to attract audiences during earlier activities, she found it shocking that there were now people unable to see the group despite wanting to.

Ayano is especially known for how emotionally connected she feels to fans. During interviews, she frequently tears up while talking about supporters rather than herself. She has repeatedly expressed guilt over not yet feeling able to fully “repay” the people who supported her during difficult periods earlier in her career. For her, becoming successful as an idol feels closely tied to gratitude.

Within CUTIE STREET, she sees her role as someone who creates a fun atmosphere and makes people smile. She wants both the members and fans to feel happy whenever they are around the group. At the same time, she admits she is still learning how to fully relax and show her natural personality during performances and television appearances. Although fans often see her as energetic and playful, she personally feels she still has more of herself left to reveal.

One notable trait Ayano mentions often is her dislike of showing weakness openly. During the audition process, there were moments where she was caught crying on camera, only to immediately force herself back into smiling once noticed. She has explained that she instinctively hides vulnerability because she does not like others seeing her weak side.

She credits much of her emotional support to the members of CUTIE STREET themselves. During preparations for her birthday event, she struggled with anxiety over asking members for help and feared disappointing everyone. However, the encouragement she received from the group deeply moved her, reinforcing her belief that CUTIE STREET is an unusually warm and caring environment.

As a performer, Ayano feels she has grown most in her ability to learn choreography quickly and carry herself more confidently on stage. She continues to challenge herself in performances, variety appearances, and MC segments, hoping to eventually become someone who can naturally entertain others without overthinking.

Looking toward the future, Ayano wants people to recognize her not only as “Ayano Masuda,” but specifically as “Ayano Masuda of CUTIE STREET.” Although she has interest in eventually trying solo variety or media work, she currently feels happiest continuing forward together with the group.

One message she strongly connects with is the “NEW KAWAII” philosophy promoted by FRUITS ZIPPER: accepting both the good and imperfect parts of oneself. She believes CUTIE STREET’s debut song, “Is Being Cute Alone Not Enough?”, carries a similar meaning—not that perfection matters, but that even flaws and insecurities can be lovable.

When asked to describe herself with a single kanji character, Ayano chose “彩” (“aya,” meaning color or colorfulness), partly because it is part of her own name. Since becoming an idol, she feels her life has become more colorful, and she hopes she can also bring color into the lives of fans.

Her favorite word is “thank you.” She says it has always been important to her, even as a child, and now carries even deeper meaning because of the people who continue supporting her journey as an idol.