Ikuemi debuted in 1979 with the one-shot "Maggie", in Bessatsu Margaret. She was in her third year of middle school. She has been a mangaka creator for over four decades.

The point of inflection in her career, was when she published the one-shot "10, 20 Years from Now" (10年も20年も), in 1990, when instead of worrying first about her readers, she decided to focus in drawing whatever she wanted to.

She has won the 46th Shogakukan Manga Award with Barairo no Ashita, in 2000, and the 33th Kodansha Manga Award (under the Shoujo category) for Kiyoku Yawaku, in 2009.

A well-known "cat lover", she often publishes about her life around her cats. Whenever one of them pass away, she dedicates them a posthumous message in her works (Chobi and Kiyo). Since 2008, she has been drawing about her life with her scotish fold cat, Buntan.

Friends with NAKAHARA Aya.