Ayane Kurihara is a Japanese former badminton player. She began playing badminton at age 9, and played competitively from then on. She became a member of the Japan national badminton team at the age of 19. Her current partner is Naru Shinoya for women's doubles and Kohei Gondo for mixed doubles. Kurihara competed with her former partner Kenta Kazuno in the mixed doubles at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The badminton tournaments at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro took place from 11 to 20 August at the fourth pavilion of Riocentro. A total of 172 athletes competed in five events: men's singles, men's doubles, women's singles, women's doubles, and mixed doubles.