Ichiki was born in what is now Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, where his father, an entrepreneur and politician, was a student of the philosophies of Ninomiya Sontoku.

Although it wasn't required by the law, he gave up the life-term upper-house seat in August 1917 when he was appointed as a member of the Privy Council.

This coincided with a period of considerable controversy over the role of the monarchy in Japan, especially centered around the works of Tatsukichi Minobe, a professor of constitutional law at Tokyo Imperial University and one of Ichiki’s former students.

Then he was effectively forced into retirement by Kiichirō Hiranuma, the right-wing former Prosecutor General and his political nemesis, who took over the presidency of the Privy Council.

Ichiki retired to his native Kakegawa, and on his death was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.