Ikeda joined the ministry of finance in 1961 and worked as bureaucrat there.
Then he became a member of the House of Representatives in 1976 following his membership to the LDP.
He won the largest number of votes (55,027) in Hiroshima Prefecture's 2nd electoral district in the 1976 general election.
He served as lawmaker ten times until his retirement.
He held key positions in the LDP and was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency.
His other posts included chairman of the LDP's decision-making general council and head of the policy research council.
He was appointed defense minister on 29 December 1990, replacing Yozo Ishikawa in the post.
He served in the post until 5 November 1991 and was succeeded by Sohei Miyashita.

Ikeda's second tenure as foreign minister was from 11 January 1996 to 11 September 1997 in the coalition government headed by the LDP politician Ryutaro Hashimoto.
Ikeda replaced Yōhei Kōno as foreign minister.
Upon the construction of a wharf facility in Takeshima/Dokdo by the South Korean government at the beginning of 1996, Ikeda protested over the construction and demanded that the South Korean government should stop it.
His remarks led to angry public demonstrations in Seoul.
He led Japan's attempts to solve the hostage crisis in Peru in the 1990s.
Ikeda was replaced by Keizō Obuchi as foreign minister on 11 September 1997.

Later Ikeda became the  policy chief or top policy planner of the LDP in 1998.
He was part of Koichi Kato's faction in the LDP.
Ikeda joined the ministry of finance in 1961 and worked as bureaucrat there. Then he became a member of the House of Representatives in 1976 following his membership to the LDP. He won the largest number of votes (55,027) in Hiroshima Prefecture's 2nd electoral district in the 1976 general election. He served as lawmaker ten times until his retirement. He held key positions in the LDP and was Director General of the Japan Defense Agency. His other posts included chairman of the LDP's decision-making general council and head of the policy research council. He was appointed defense minister on 29 December 1990, replacing Yozo Ishikawa in the post. He served in the post until 5 November 1991 and was succeeded by Sohei Miyashita.
Ikeda's second tenure as foreign minister was from 11 January 1996 to 11 September 1997 in the coalition government headed by the LDP politician Ryutaro Hashimoto. Ikeda replaced Yōhei Kōno as foreign minister. Upon the construction of a wharf facility in Takeshima/Dokdo by the South Korean government at the beginning of 1996, Ikeda protested over the construction and demanded that the South Korean government should stop it. His remarks led to angry public demonstrations in Seoul. He led Japan's attempts to solve the hostage crisis in Peru in the 1990s. Ikeda was replaced by Keizō Obuchi as foreign minister on 11 September 1997.
Later Ikeda became the  policy chief or top policy planner of the LDP in 1998. He was part of Koichi Kato's faction in the LDP.
Yukihiko Ikeda