A taste of Edo and its hustle and bustle are vividly depicted in Ikenami's novels, including "Onihei Hanka-cho" featuring Heizo Hasegawa, or Onihei, an agent who captures arsonists and burglars, "Kenkaku Shobai" and "Shikakenin - Fujieda Baian," which are familiar to TV viewers and radio listeners. Ikenami was born in Shoden-cho, Taito City (former Asakusa Word) and grew up in Negishi and Asakusa Nagasumi-cho. He was a Tokyoite who had a genuine Edo spirit. Onihei's way to look at downtown Edo and his consideration for people might be just Ikenami's own way to look at others, which was nurtured in Ueno and Asakusa.

　Pictures of Onihei and other characters in Ikenami's novels, which were portrayed by him who was good at painting, and drafts of "Onihei Hanka-cho" are being exhibited. The historical background, including appearances, clothing and belongings of characters, was studied in details.

　Ikenami had a talent for painting, and once aimed to be a painter and dreamed of studying under Kiyokata Kaburagi. Photographs of modern-day towns, which were taken while following an old Edo map that was a source for his pictures of Edo's townscapes, detailed maps and sketches are preserved. His talent might begin to blossom when he wrote scripts for the Shinkokugeki theatrical company and plotted the scenes, with which he had been involved before producing historical novels.