KAMBE Akira was born as the eldest son of Hanayagi School Nihon Buyō master Hanayagi Yasusuke II. Kambe made his kabuki stage debut before the age of five, training under his great uncles, Ichikawa Chūsha VIII and Ichikawa Enʻō I.  After their death, he continued training under Matsumoto Koshirō VIII.  He succeeded to the name Ichikawa Komazō XI in 1995.

Though specializing in onnagata roles, and especially known for his portrayals of princesses in period plays, Ichikawa Komazō has a wide breadth of acting skills, performing everything from courtesans to gentle male (nimaime) roles and, more recently, strong male roles in classics such as Kanjinchō (The Subscription List) and Kumagai Jinya (Kumagai’s Camp).

He has received numerous awards, among which are multiple National Theatre Incentive Awards, a Mayama Seika Award for Supporting Actor in 1998, and a National Theatre’s Outstanding Performance Award for three different productions in 2008.