She was dispatched to Eastern Europe Poland, Rumania, and Bulgaria by the Japan Foundation and gave recitals and performed with the Filarmonica de Stat G.
In November 2018, Ito received the 77th Western Japan Cultural Award for her achievement to foster the Beppu Argerich Music Festival and connect a regional area in Japan to the global music scene.
With this achievement, Ito was asked by the City of Beppu to serve as a producer for the cultural development of the city, and since then she has been promoting the creation of a new music culture in close cooperation with Argerich.