Performing primarily in Kyoto, with some brief stints in Osaka, Ayame acted in countless plays, and became very well regarded in the Kamigata theatre world. In 1711, he was ranked in the Kyoto "hyōbanki" (a regular publication ranking actors and performances) as "goku-jō-jō-kichi" (極上上吉extreme-superior-superior-excellent). He achieved the same ranking in Edo three years later, a rare feat considering that most actors did not see success in both Kamigata and Edo, and many did not travel between the two regions at all.