Ina Akitsuna (伊奈昭綱)
Akitsuna INA (year of birth unknown -1600) was a busho (Japanese military commander) in the Azuchi-Momoyama period. He was a vassal of Ieyasu TOKUGAWA. His common name was Nenosuke. He was generally known by his hyakkan na (a name taken after his/her or families' official rank) Zusho INA.
He was the second son of Akitsugu INA, and he became the adopted son of his older brother Akitada INA who had no heir and succeeded to the position of family head. He participated in the battle of the Siege of Odawara, and was entitled to 2,500 koku (about 450,000 liters) when Ieyasu conquered Kanto region. On the occasion of the conquest of Kagekatsu UESUGI in 1600, he was dispatched to Tohoku region as kenbunshi, the inspector to confirm the rebellion by Kagekatsu. After the Battle of Sekigahara, he was in charge of the maitenace of security in Kyoto as the guard of of Hioka no Seki (Hioka checking station) in Yamashiro Province.
Conflict with the Fukushima family and death
When Akitsuna was the guard of Hioka, Masanori FUKUSHIMA, the lord of Hiroshima-jo Castle in Aki Province, dispatched his chief retainer Kaemon SAKUMA as a messenger to Ieyasu who was staying at Fushimi-jo Castle. A vassal of Akitsuna, who was then the guard of checking station, did not allow Sakuma to pass on the ground that he did not possess a pass. Sakuma made a full report on the affair to his lord soon after he returned to Hiroshima, and committed suicide saying he lost face. Masanori sent the head of Sakuma to Ieyasu in order to check Ieyasu and requested him to order Akitsuna, the responsible person of checking station, to commit suicide by disembowelment. Ieyasu ordered Akitsuna to kill his vassal who drove back Sakuma and send his head to Masanori, but Masanori did not withdraw his original request. Under such circumstances, Ieyasu was forced to make Akitsuna commit suicide by disembowelment and send his head to Masanori. It is said that this incident was a remote cause for the kaieki (sudden dismissal and deprivation of position, privileges and properties) of Masanori which the Edo bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun) decided in 1619.